Mus. 342-5

Printed. Four partbooks from a set originally of five. (See below for information about the missing Contratenor partbook.)

Mus. 342-5 Whythorne, Thomas, ca. 1528-1596 Triplex [etc.], of songes, for three, fower, and five voyces, composed and made by Thomas Whythorne, gent. the which songes be of sundry sortes, that is to say, some long, some short, some hard, some easie to be songe, and some betwene both: also some solemne, and some pleasant or mery ... Now newly published. London: Printed by John Daye, 1571 RISM A/I W992 Mus. 342: Triplex; Mus. 343: Medius; Mus. 344: Tenor; Mus. 345: Bassus.

The original bindings of Mus. 342-5 are of limp parchment cut from unidentified medieval manuscripts. They were removed probably in the early 20th century, and are now kept in Christ Church MS 378 ('The Book of Orts') as fragments 19 ('Bassus', = Mus. 345), 21 ('Tryplex', = Mus. 342), and 22 ('Tenor', = Mus. 344). In each case the part-name has been written on both the upper and lower covers. It is possible that the missing Contratenor partbook from this set is the one now located in New York Public Library (Drexel 4256.12), the binding of which exactly matches the original bindings of Mus. 342-5. But it is also possible that these were standard covers supplied to all copies by the bookseller/stationer; and there are no other markings in the New York partbook that directly link it to the Christ Church set.

Provenance: from the Aldrich bequest, listed in Archives 1717, item G20, as 'Whithorn's Songs' (to which a later hand has added '4 Books'), and in Dowding as 'Whithorn's Songs' (with an annotation by Havergal: '1 part wanting'). The names of earlier owners or users appear both within the volumes themselves and on their original covers. The rear flyleaf of Mus. 343 bears the initials 'R. S.' within an ornamental flourish, and two further annotations possibly in the same hand: 'Som men will thinke, that I can singe god knowes he is a'; and 'this the aforsaide thomas anderson his haires executors Administrators and assigeners'; 'R.S.' may be the 'Richeard Shrene' whose name appears on the last page of Mus. 390. Annotation on the inside lower cover of the 'Tryplex' partbook (i.e. MS 378, fragment 21): 'my name ys henry Cooke / 1579'.

Oblong format, 200 x 155 mm. Early 20th-century bindings of limp vellum with ties. No early bookplates. 19th-century shelfmarks: I.4.54-7.

Microfilm: The printed music of Christ Church, Oxford, reel 17.
View microfilm details.