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New College, Oxford. Chapel Choir Books

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Incomplete sets and isolated members of part-books which were in use at the Chapel of New College, Oxford from the early 17th cent. up to the middle of the 19th cent. and probably later. Content and arrangement differ even in parts in the same set, as unwanted music was discarded when the books were repaired, and space was filled unsystematically (in the latter half of the period music was sometimes copied by one hand in unrelated books). On the covers there is usually an indication of the content (services and anthems), voice, and side (Decani or Warden's and Cantoris). Numbers, written or stamped, represent different attempts to distinguish the sets from one another. The parts are the work of a series of copyists, of whom two have recorded payments by the Bursar, Morgan Cove (1742-1744) and Philip Hayes (1781-1795). At different times indexes were added, generally omitting music not in use at the time.

Lists of the music are MS. Mus. d. 169*, and all the composers named are in the Accessions Index: see list at end. Only MS. Mus. d. 162 contains unascribed music, c 1600.

Composers of services and anthems in the New College Choir Books are:

  1. Alcock, John
  2. Aldrich, Dr. Henry
  3. Aubery, John
  4. Batten, Adrian
  5. Battishill, Jonathan
  6. Bever, Dr. Thomas
  7. Bishop, John
  8. Blake, Dr. William
  9. Blow, John
  10. Boyce, William
  11. Boyse, Thomas
  12. Bryan, Albertus
  13. Bull, John
  14. Byrd, William
  15. Child, William
  16. Clark, Jeremiah
  17. Cobb, John
  18. Coleman, Sy.
  19. Cranford, William
  20. Creighton, Robert
  21. Croft, William
  22. Crotch, William
  23. Davis, -
  24. Ellis, William
  25. Evey, Sir George Job
  26. Elvey, Stephen
  27. Farrant, John
  28. Farrant, Richard
  29. Ferrabosco, John
  30. Fussel, Peter
  31. Gates, Bernard
  32. Gibbons, Orlando
  33. Goldwin, John
  34. Goodson, Richard
  35. Greene, Maurice
  36. Hall, Henry
  37. Handel, George Frederick
  38. Hawkins, James
  39. Haydn, Franz Josef
  40. Hayes, Philip
  41. Hayes, William
  42. Heathcote, Gilbert
  43. Hine, William
  44. Hooper, Edmund
  45. Howard, Samuel
  46. Husbands, -
  47. Jones, Charles, of New College
  48. Ketway, Thomas
  49. Kent, James
  50. King, Charles
  51. King, William
  52. Lawes, Henry
  53. Lewis, Thomas
  54. Lowe, Edward
  55. Lugg, Robert
  56. Marenzio, Luca
  57. Morley, Thomas
  58. Mozart, W. A.
  59. Mudd, Thomas
  60. Munday, William
  61. Nares, James
  62. Patrick, Richard
  63. Pepusch, Dr. J. C.
  64. Pickhaver, Robert
  65. Portman, Richard
  66. Priest, Nathaniel
  67. Purcell, Daniell
  68. Purcell, Henry
  69. Raylton, William
  70. Reading, -
  71. Reynolds, -
  72. Richardson, Vaughan
  73. Rogers, Benjamin
  74. Stanley, John
  75. Shenton, Richard
  76. Silver, -
  77. Stevenson, Sir John Andrew
  78. Stroud, Charles
  79. Tallis, Thomas
  80. Tomkins, Thomas
  81. Tucker, William
  82. Tudway, Thomas
  83. Tye, Christopher
  84. Walkeley, Antony
  85. Walond, William
  86. Weekes, Thomas
  87. Weldon, John
  88. Wigthorpe, William
  89. Wilkinson, Thomas
  90. Wise, Michael

Dates

  • Creation: mostly 17th and 18th centuries

Extent

3.41 Linear metres (31 boxes)

Language of Materials

  • English

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark, e.g. MS. Mus. c. 46, fols. 1-2.]

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Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. Mus. c. 46-51, d. 149-169, e. 22-25 and f. 32

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 13260

Abstract

New College, Oxford. Chapel Choir Books. Incomplete sets and isolated members of part-books which were in use from the early 17th cent. up to the middle of the 19th cent. and probably later.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical details unknown.

Arrangement

The parts are catalogued in approximate chronological order.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Given by the Warden and Fellow of New College, 1919.

Title
New College, Oxford. Chapel Choir Books.
Status
Published
Date
EAD version 2019 by Hannah Jordan and Margaret Czepiel
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom