Mus. 37

Manuscript. Guardbook containing five unrelated and previously discrete tracts, all of them English, late 17th-early 18th centuries. The volume was assembled at Christ Church in the late 18th century as part of an uncompleted binding project intended to protect previously unbound items from the Aldrich and Goodson bequests. (For a list of other volumes in related bindings, see the entry for Mus. 3.)

Upright format, 377 x 243 mm. Late 18th-century binding of white parchment over boards, undecorated except for two parallel fillets at edges. Spine in contrasting brown leather; on the spine, a red leather inset tooled in gold: 'JEPTHA / BY / CARISSIMI / &.C'. The binding pre-dates the 1787 catalogue by Malchair, in which the volume is described (f. 1) as 'Jephta - Tedeum - Venus & Adonis, an Opera by Blow. with other pieces / Large Vol. Vellum / Carissimi / Blow / Bird.' The index on the front flyleaf is by Malchair. Bookplate 2. 19th-century shelfmark: I.1.14. Formerly Mus. 50.

Microfilm: manuscript music, reel 5.

• Mus. 37 (pp. 1-24). Giacomo Carissimi, oratorio 'Jephte'. Score; music copied by Francis Smith, words copied by Henry Aldrich. English, late 17th century.

• Mus. 37 (pp. 25-58). [Richard Goodson Jr], ode 'Festo quid potius die Neptuni faciam'. Autograph score; English, early 18th century.

• Mus. 37 (pp. 59-74). Madrigals by Pomponio Nenna, copied in score by Richard Goodson Sr. English, late 17th century.

• Mus. 37 (pp. 75-98). Church music by William Byrd, copied in score (largely without words) by Henry Aldrich. English, late 17th century.

• Mus. 37 (pp. 99-138). Dr [John] Blow, 'Venus & Adonis', copied in score by Richard Goodson Sr. English, late 17th century.