Christ Church Music Catalogue
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Mus. 1114

Manuscript. A volume with a complex history. Possibly begun as a song-book in the mid 17th century. Also used by three further copyists for adding instrumental music; in this capacity, the volume may have functioned as a partbook. The book may then have been used by John Blow to draft item 36. Further items, largely vocal, were subsequently added in Oxford by Richard Goodson Sr, Richard Goodson Jr, and various unidentified hands that are probably choristers; these additions extend the period of copying into the early 18th century. In the inventory below, items 1-20 are copied from what is here designated as the front of the volume, items 21-38 from the rear with the volume inverted. Copyists as follows:

  • 'First-layer copyist': items 1-3, 5 and 35. The songs (voice-parts only) are notated on double-page spreads, with the music notation and first stanza on the left-hand page, continuation stanza(s) on the right.
  • 'Second-layer copyist A': items 7-8 and 21-7. Instrumental parts, heavily ornamented, using idiosyncratic signs and abbreviated instructions; they appear to be largely for violin.
  • 'Second-layer copyist B': items 28 and 34 (bass parts).
  • 'Second-layer copyist C': items 29-31 and 33 (parts for consort music).
  • Item 36: apparently in the hand of John Blow.
  • Richard Goodson Sr: items 9 and 13.
  • Richard Goodson Jr: items 4, 12, 17, ?18-19 and 20.
  • Choristers: items 6, 10-11, 14-16, 32 and 37-8.
Many leaves have been excised from this volume; others have been partially torn or cut away. The principal mutilations are as follows:
  • Before f. 1: at least one leaf has been excised.
  • Right-hand side of f. 1 is torn away.
  • Between ff. 5 and 6: probably 3 leaves excised.
  • Between ff. 7 and 8: 3 leaves excised.
  • Between ff. 9 and 10: 3 leaves excised.
  • Between ff. 19 and 20: at least 2 leaves excised.
  • Most of f. 22 is torn away. Fragments of music notation remain; they are not included in the inventory below.
  • Upper portion of f. 24 has been cut away.
  • Between ff. 29 and 30: probably 2 leaves excised.
  • Much of f. 30 is torn away.
  • After f. 30: at least one gathering has been torn out.
Table of titles and composers in modern form. Display form found in manuscript.
The first column gives the modern numbering of the pieces; the second shows numbering used by the copyist(s).
1     (Unidentified song, largely excised) f. 1r
2   Henry Lawes Go, thou gentle whispering wind ff. 1v-2r
3   Henry Lawes Come, lovely Phyllis ff. 2v-3r
4     Opening of an instrumental movement in B flat major; treble and bass f. 3r
5   Henry Lawes I prithee send me back my heart ff. 3v-4r
6     Miscellaneous musical jottings ff. 4v-5r
7     Of all the arts (ornamented bass line) f. 5v
8     Wandering in love's wilderness (ornamented bass line) f. 5v
9   John Blow Venus and Adonis (solo vocal parts only, opening missing) ff. 6r-10r
10     Miscellaneous musical jottings ff. 10v-11r
11   Samuel Akeroyde From Aberdeen to Edinb'rough f. 11v
12     Solmization exercises ff. 11v-12r
13   Henry Aldrich Praise the Lord, O ye his servants ff. 12v-15r
14   John Blow Turn thee unto me, O Lord (opening only, treble and bass) f. 15v
15     Miscellaneous musical jottings f. 15v
16     O Lord, rebuke me not ('verse') ff. 16r-v
17   Henry Purcell Fairest isle (from 'King Arthur' (Z628/38), untexted treble part) f. 17r
18   Simon Ives Boy go down and fill the other quart ('a 3 voc') f. 17v
19   John Hilton Boy go up and see what makes them mad ('a 3 vo') f. 18r
20     Solmization exercises f. 18v
21 7   Canzonetta (ornamented treble part, mulitated: page torn) f. 30v
22 8   Ritrosetta (ornamented treble part, mulitated: page torn) f. 30v
23     Regalia (= 'When the king enjoys his own again'; ornamented treble part) f. 29v
24     Luscinia (with heading 'The nightingale'; ornamented treble part) f. 28v
25     Inamorato (ornamented treble part) f. 27v
26     Jocosa (ornamented treble part) f. 27r
27     Intrada/Parola/Riposta/Battaglia/Victoria (ornamented treble part) ff. 26r-25v
28     Ayre (in G major; bass part only) f. 24v
29     Treble part in D major f. 24r
30     Treble part in ?g minor f. 23v
31   Alfonso Ferrabosco (ii) Alman a5 no. 1 (VdGS 1; treble and bass parts, copied on what are now facing pages; f. 22 is largely torn away) ff. 23r-22v
32   Orlando Gibbons Behold, thou hast made my days (treble part, abandoned opening only; see no. 37 below) f. 23r
33     Tablature or fingering chart? f. 21v
34     Bass part in G major f. 21r
35   ?John Banister (i) Sing aloud, harmonious spheres f. 20v
36   John Blow? Draft of piece in d minor without text or title; treble and bass parts in score; incomplete at end, possibly owing to excised leaves f. 20r
37   Orlando Gibbons Behold thou has made my days (treble part only, incomplete at end; see also no. 32 above) f. 19v
38     Miscellaneous musical jottings f. 19r

Oblong format, 195 x 145 mm. Collation not researched because of the many excised leaves (see above). Unused ruled staves on ff. 25r, 26v, 28r, 29r and 30r. Mid 17th-century binding of brown leather over boards; upper and lower covers gold-tooled with fillets surrounding a central ornament. The inside upper cover is annotated with pen-trials, including the names of 'Richard Thornton' and 'Mr Goodson'. No early bookplate. 19th-century shelfmark: I.7.99. Formerly Mus. 597.

Provenance: presumably from the Goodson bequest; not listed in any of the 18th-century catalogues of the Christ Church music collections.

Microfilm: manuscript music, reel 37.

This is one of the many music manuscripts at Christ Church copied by Richard Goodson Sr.
For a full list of music manuscripts at Christ Church copied by John Blow, see the entry for Mus. 14.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

H. Watkins Shaw, 'John Blow and Oxford', Bodleian Library Record, 16 (1997-8), 133-50 (at p. 142)