“Today on Earth the Angels sing, Archangels rejoice"
Recto: 7 lines of music notation in square and diamond shaped neumes and text in Latin written in a gothic bookhand on parchment. Five line staves with a key signature. Rubrics in red. One large decorative initial, ‘H’ in red with internal foliate designs. Hair follicles of the animal used for the parchment are clearly visible in the top and bottom margins.
Verso: As Recto, with a similar decorative initial ‘V’ in red.
Origin: Spain.
Date: c.1600.
Content: The initial ‘H’ on Recto begins the antiphon to the Magnificat sung at Vespers on Christmas Day:
Hodie Christus natus est: hodie Salvator apparuit: hodie in terra canunt Angeli, lætantur Archangeli: hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis: Alleluia.
(Today Christ is born:
Today the Saviour appeared:
Today on Earth the Angels sing,
Archangels rejoice:
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest.
Alleluia.)
The antiphon is completed on Verso. The next antiphon, beginning at the decorative initial 'V' is:
Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre plenum gratiae et veritatis.
(And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.)
Condition: The leaf is in excellent condition. Verso is in near fine condition with just the expected staining from page turning . Recto has some black ink loss in the neumes. The leaf is unconditionally guaranteed genuine.
Notes: An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") in Christian music and ritual is a a short sentence sung by a choir or congregation before or after a psalm or canticle. It is usually in the form of a Gregorian chant. The words of the antiphons are related to the theme of the feast day or celebration and most frequently have something in common with the liturgical readings of the Mass.
Antiphonal music is music that is performed by two semi-independent choirs in interaction, often singing alternate musical phrases.
The parent book of this leaf was an Antiphonal, a very large book that was placed on a lectern so that all members of the choir could see it, and sing from it.
Saint Gregory I, known as Gregory the Great, (born c. 540, Rome—died March 12, 604, Rome), Pope (590–604) was elected pope in 590.
His extensive re-codification of the liturgy and plainchant led to his name being given to Gregorian chant. According to legend, Gregorian chant was the most sacred and authentic form of liturgical chant as it was believed to have been sung to Gregory by the Holy Spirit who appeared to him in the form of a white dove. The dove is usually depicted hovering close to his ear while singing its sacred melodies as Gregory simultaneously writes them down.
Size: Leaf: approx. 580x410 mm. Please note that shipping is invoiced separately. This very large leaf will be shipped, carefully wrapped, in a tube.
Item No: MMU070
