DATE: c1605-8 and c1615-20
Page measurements: 138 x 184 mm
Pedagogical book in oblong octavo format. This is one of the sources that suffers from a very wide range of proposed dates. Lumsden suggested 'c1620', Poulton 'c1631' and Spring 'before 1608'. Spring's study concentrated on the Scottish sources far more than any previous work, and his dating relies on two inscriptions: godes grant, gode grant Anna Hay (f.v) and My lade bekluch her book (f.vi). He identified Anna Hay as the eldest daughter of the eighth Earl of Errol. She married the Earl of Wintoun in 1609, and her sister, Mary Hay, married the Earl of Buccleuch in 1616 and died in 1631. Some of the music was also signed by Sir William Mure of Rowallan, and Spring suggests the Sir William born in 1594 (d1657--there were two others) as the one responsible for the music in his hand.
Lumsden suggests that Scotland's separation from English cultural life at the time would imply an early date, but it is more likely that the original purpose of the book would account for its chronologically anachronistic repertory. When it came into Sir William's hands the book was immediately transformed into the sort of commonplace book frequently found among the household or personal anthologies. He was responsible for several arrangements of tunes and divisions, as were many other books of this sort. Mure undoubtedly used the book for many years, and his activity is impossible to date. It probably came into his hands c1615 and he continued to add poetry etc. to it, perhaps for much of his life, but certainly for several years. The volume is described in detail in Spring 1987A.
Bibliography: H. G. Farmer: A History of Music in Scotland (London, 1947/R1970)
H. M. Shire: Song, Dance and Poetry of the Court of Scotland under King James VI (Cambridge, 1969)
Lumsden 1957A
Spring 1987A
page
original
ascription
title
composer
cons.
& cogs.
1/1
Wolt
La Volta Courant
William Byrd arr.
Board
13/2
Werl 7
Thysius 372/1
Aegidius 25v/1
Rowallan 6-7
Schele 91
Fuhrmann 1615 140/1
Dd.2.11 73/1 and 75/3
(All versions of the same piece)
2
Spynelet
/ fnes codsumbedr
Spynelet
3
Curent
Brett's
Courant
Dd.5.78.3
74v/1
Dd.9.3342v/1 and 58/3
Trinity 126-125/1
Besard 1603 153v/2 (first strain only)
Montbuysson 25v
Fuhrmann 1615 174/1
Beckmann 3v-4
Wemyss 19v
Dusiacki 4v
Dolmetsch 22v-23
Werl 91v
de Bellis 39
ML 3v/1
Valerius 1626 52-53
4
Gavot
Gavotte
5
[n.t.]
6-7
Curnte
La
Volta Courant
William
Byrd arr.
Board
13/2
Werl 7
Thysius 372/1
Aegidius 25v/1
Rowallan 1/1
Schele 91
Fuhrmann 1615 140/1
Dd.2.11 73/1 and 75/3
(All versions of the same piece)
8-9/1
Swit Sant nikcola
Sweet Saint Nicholas
En me Revenant
ML 8v-7r
9/2
[n.t.]
10-11
[n.t.]
12
Before
the Greeks Durst Enterprise
13
La
voicy
La
Voici/Parson's Farewell
Robert
Parsons?
cf:
Stobaeus 81/2
Praetorius 1612 no.23
Playford 1651 9
Vilnius 16/4
14
Spyenelit
reforme
Spynelet
Reformed
15
[n.t.]
16
Ye
[n.t.]
17
[n.t.]
18-19
Ane
Scottis Dance [added19th c] Ane Scottis dance [original]
Scottish
Dance
20-21
Curent
Courant
22-23
Curent
Courant
24
Sr
William Mure
[n.t.]
William
Mure of Rowallan
25
for
kissing for Clapping for Loving for proveng set to ye Lute be Mr Mure
For
Kissing, for Clapping, for Loving, for Proving
William
Mure of Rowallan
26-27
[n.t.]
28-29/1
Mary
Betonns Row [added 19th c]
Mary
Beaton's Row
29/2
Corn
gaird[es]
Scottish
Jig
30
Battel
of harlaw
Battle
of Harlaw
31-32
Maggie
Ramsay
Maggie
Ramsay
33
Cum[m]er
tried [original] Cummer tried [added 19th c]
Cummer
Tried
34-35
Ouer
the dek davie
Over
the Deck Davy
36/1
[n.t.]
36/2
[frgmt]
37
[n.t.]
38
for
kising for clapping for loveing & proving
For
Kissing, for Clapping, for Loving, for Proving
39-41
Scottish
Hunt's Up
42-43
In
ane inch I warnt
In
An Inch I Warrant You
44/1
[n.t.]
44/2
[n.t.]
45/1
[n.t.]
45/2
[n.t.]
46-48
Gypsies
Lilt [added19th c]
Gipsy's
Lilt
49-50
Kathrein
Bairdie [?added 19th c]
Katherine
Bairdie
The Lute Page
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