Fragments

GB-Northamptonshire Public Record Office, FH.3431.c

DATE: c1625?

Fragments of irregular-sized paper probably originally enclosed a letter (the papers show folds). The music is written on hand-drawn lines and shows time signatures consistent with the rise in their use c1630. The writing itself suggests about this date, but the use of v.t. would be unusual. Courants are not rare in English sources, but the time-signatures would be anachronistic in much earlier music. c1625 would seem the best compromise without concordances or watermarks to offer further evidence. It is interesting that a courant and a jig are paired in both these fragments and in Occ254.

Bibliography: Craig 1994

frgmt

original ascription
title
composer
cons. &cogs.
1
Courante
Courant


2
Gigue
Jig


Northants fragment 1

GB-Oxford, Corpus Christi Library, Ms.254 fragments

DATE: c1610

Page measurements: 297 x 188 mm

Fragment in upright folio format. The sheet has been mounted on a guard and bound into a collection of loose papers that do not seem to be related to the music. The writing on both sides extends right to the edges of the paper, and it may have been cropped. Only on the verso is some text lost, but this is mainlydue to the mounting on the guard. This may have been a letter fragment, as the sheet was folded in half at one time. The music is written on three and a half hand-ruled lines that are just sufficient for the music. On the recto face are instructions in a close-written secretary hand for working out a horoscope, but these are general in nature and have no evidenceof a specific date. The script on the recto and the use of a secretary 'e' in the tablature suggest a date near 1600, but the style of writing has much in common with 6402. There are pieces described as 'French Courant' in sourcesdating from 1595 to about 1630. There is no watermark, and the most reasonable compromise date that can be reached is given above.

Bibliography: Craig 1993

folio

original ascription
title
composer
cons. & cogs.
144v/1
Hogys Jigge.
Hogys Jig


144v/2
the french Lacoronto.
French Courant

cf: Board 43/3

Folger 14/2

Trinity 118/1

Valerius 1626

Occ254 f.144v

GB-Oxford, Christ Church Library, Mus.1280 fragments

DATE: c1580

Page measurements: Original size unobtainable due to cropping. The size of thesheet that remains (after joining the two fragments) is 236-8 x 200 mm

Teaching fragments, probably in oblong folio format siilar to 31392. Since the music extends right to the edges of the remaining width, it seems most likely that the original sheet was used in oblong format. The fragments were removedfrom the lining of a late 16th or early 17th century deed-box. Reconstruction shows that these were two pieces of the same sheet, but no other fragments are extant. The cropping has destroyed a large part of the music, but since concordances are available, effectively nothing has been lost. The music seems to require only a 6-course lute,suggesting an early date, although the majority of the concordances were copied after 1600. The extensive cropping has removed any clues as to the origins of the sheet, and it is as likely to have been part of a larger book as to have been loose. The paperhas the appearance of having been folded, but the creases may simply have been caused by the paper having been used in the corners of the deed-box. The paper is carefully hand-ruled.

Bibliography: Craig 1993

face

original ascription
title
composer
cons. & cogs.
recto

Weston's Pavan
Weston
cf: Dallis 22-23 and 96-97/1

Lodge 20v-21

ML 10v-11/1

Marsh 50-54/1 and 188

verso
the frenche gallyard
French Galliard
John Johnson/ (Francesco da Milano)
cf: Cosens 33v/3

Dd.2.11 41/2

Dd.5.78.3 41/2

Dallis 40-41/1 (dvns)

Lodge 16v/2-17v

Marsh 46-48

Thysius 24v/1

Valerius 1626 189

Marsh 148/3-149 (dt)

Thysius 16v, 20/2, 19v and 20v (cnst pts)

The Lute Page Julia Craig-McFeely's Thesis Index