Montréal, McGill University - Rare Books and Special Collections - Manuscript Collection, MS Medieval 0176

Cantus Siglum

CDN-Mrb MS Medieval 0176

Holding Institution

Montréal, McGill University - Rare Books and Special Collections - Manuscript Collection (CDN-Mrb)

Manuscript/Print

Manuscript

Summary

Gradual, one leaf, German? Adiastematic notation.

Liturgical Occasions

Holy Saturday, Easter.

Description

Partial leaf from a noted missal, 296 x130 mm (writing area 275 x 92 mm). Text appears to be transitional Praegothica of the late 12th or early 13th century; some rubrics are in capitals and others not. Neumes are unheightened and largely of the "German" variety, though with a head on the virga, hooks on clives and a downward-pointing trigon rather than "St Gall" forms. The neumes for the mass ordinary incipits for Easter have been given in red.
The fragment was used for binding, and has a fold along one side and a missing rectangle in one corner (presumably from damage where the parchment was pasted down); a few wormholes are visible in the margin. Based on the dimensions, it seems likely it is one column of a two-column leaf. Ruled for 36 lines (the lower margin is trimmed, but text is not substantially missing.)

The library's previous description dated the fragment much later; both the current and previous descriptions are provided below for reference.

2018 description read:
"Part of one leaf containing one column of text (lower margin is missing). 36 lines on recto and 35 on verso, from which thirteen, on recto, and seven, on verso, contain musical notation. In Latin, on vellum. Probably written in the 15th century, gothic characters, unknown origin. 296x130 mm.; written surface 275x092 mm. Wormholed, large hole on upper part of fragment. Probably used for binding. Brown ink, red rubrics, one and two-line initials in red ink.

From Sabbato sancto. r. in quo non est iniquitas iustus et sanctus Dominus (with musical notation). Followed by orationes, Paul's Ad Colossenses (Col. 3) and Matthew's: Vespere autem Sabbati quae (Mat. 28) lucescit in prima Sabbati venit v. Maria Magdalene et altera Maria videre Populus acquisitionis annunciate virtute eius qui
vos de tenebris vocatur."

(Holland, Anne Marie, compiler. "MS Medieval 176." Long Descriptions Ms Medieval Manuscript Antiphonals, Missals and Graduals. Digitization and Cataloguing Project- Antiphonals, Missals and Gradual. Updated December 6, 2018), 22-23.

Revised description in McGill's online catalogue reads (as of 2025):
"One damaged vellum leaf from a late 12th-century noted missal written in Germany ; texts and musical notation (staffless German neumes) in brown ink ; liturgical rubrics in red ink ; single line and two-line initials in red ; faded marginal annotations in red on verso.

Damage includes missing music and text due to abraded edges and the loss of a narrow rectangular hole extending down from the top edge

Mass texts and chants for Sancto Sabbato." https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1303698559

Selected Bibliography

Holland, Anne Marie, compiler. "MS Medieval 176." Long Descriptions Ms Medieval Manuscript Antiphonals, Missals and Graduals. Digitization and Cataloguing Project- Antiphonals, Missals and Gradual. Updated December 6, 2018.

Description Entered by

Anna de Bakker

Full/Partial Inventory

Full Inventory

Complete Source/Fragment

Fragment

Fragmentarium ID

F-r74d

DACT ID

D:0r74d