No. 40 on the 1682 list of the Music School Collection.
Consort music for strings in three and four parts by Charles Coleman, Richard Cooke and William Lawes; and (volumes reversed) anonymous lute and lyra viol consort music, two anonymous lute solos, and lute consort music by J. Birkenshaw. Copied by four hands for Richard Rhodes of Christ Church, Oxford, whose inscription is dated 7 Sept. 1660 (413, fol. 2). Rhodes wrote instructions to copyists and binder on the end-papers.
The parts are: MS. Mus. Sch. e. 410, First Treble (i); MS. Mus. Sch. e. 411, Second Treble and Lute (ii); MS. Mus. Sch. e. 412, Tenor and Lyra (iii); MS. Mus. Sch. e. 413, Bass (iv); MS. Mus. Sch. e. 414, extra Bass part, 'pricked for a Theorbo', not originally part of the set (v).
The copying was carried out as follows: the first hand wrote 20 4-part movements by Coleman at the beginning of i to iv and (at a different time) v. Later additions by this hand in i-iv were two 'Eccos' by W. Lawes numbered 46-47 and, volumes reversed, movements by 'J. Birchingshaw', numbered 27-32. A different hand, perhaps Richard Rhodes's own, had already copied anonymous movements numbered 1-26 in the reversed volumes. A third hand wrote 3-part music by Coleman, numbered 21-45, after his 4-part music. A fourth hand wrote 3-part music by Richard Cooke, numbered 50-61, after Lawes's 'Eccos', leaving 2 blank leaves which were not filled; and an extra treble part for the anonymous lute consort, nos. 1-9 (volume reversed), on the end-papers of iii. In v, all except the 4-part music by Coleman (1-20) was copied by the fourth hand.
Dates
- Creation: mid-17th cent.
Extent
2 boxes (0.22 linear metres)
Language of Materials
- English
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark, e.g. MS. Mus. Sch. e. 410, fols. 1-2].
Full range of shelfmarks:
MSS. Mus. Sch. e. 410-414
Collection ID (for staff)
CMD ID 17531
Abstract
Part-books of consort music for strings in three and four parts by Charles Coleman, Richard Cooke and William Lawes; and (volumes reversed) anonymous lute and lyra viol consort music, two anonymous lute solos, and lute consort music by J. Birchensha, mid-17th cent.
Biographical / Historical
Charles Coleman (d 1664) was a composer, singer, lutenist, and viol player. See Grove Music Online for further details.
William Lawes (1602-1645) was a composer and musician. See Grove Music Online for further details.
John Birchensha [Birkenshaw] (c 1605-1681?) was a musical theorist and teacher. See Grove Music Online and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for further details.
Other Finding Aids
Robert Hake, [Catalogue of the Music School Collection], c 1850-1855. Nos. CVIII and CIX.
Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. V, nos. 26527-26531
Viola da Gamba Society Thematic index of music for viols [online] (VdGS)
RISM 800272224
Custodial History
This item is part of the Music School collection of printed and manuscript music, which was originally bequeathed to the University of Oxford by William Heather (c 1563-1627), and gradually added to until the end of the 18th century. The present manuscript was acquired by Edward Lowe from Richard Rhodes of Christ Church (see MS. Mus. Sch. c. 44, fol. 99, where they are called 'the redd bookes I had of Mr. Rhodes'). Lowe's list of contents is in MS. Mus. Sch. e. 414, fol. 1.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was transferred to the Bodleian in 1885.
Bibliography
- Tim Crawford, 'An unusual consort revealed in an Oxford manuscript', Chelys 6 (1975), pp. 61-68.
Subject
- Simpson | Christopher | c 1602/1606-1669 | composer (Person)
- Ferrabosco | Alfonso | c 1575-1628 | composer and viol player (Person)
- Lawes | William | 1602-1645 | musician and composer (Person)
- Rogers | Benjamin | 1613/14–1698 | organist and composer (Person)
- Ward | John | c 1589-1638 | composer (Person)
- Birchensha | John | c 1605–1681? | musical theorist and teacher (Person)
- Lowe | Edward | 1610-1682 | composer, music copyist, organist and writer on music (Person)
- Title
- Consort music for strings
- Status
- Published
- Date
- EAD version 2019
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk