Winchester troper
Encyclopedia
The Winchester Troper includes perhaps the oldest large collections of two-part music in Europe
, along with the Chartres Manuscript which is approximately contemporaneous or a little later. It consists of two English
manuscripts dated circa 1000. One can be found in Oxford
, in the Bodleian Library
(MS Bodley 775), the other in Corpus Christi
, Cambridge
(MS473), but were copied out at, and originally used at Winchester Cathedral
.
In the second of these manuscripts there are over 160 examples of 2-part organum
pieces, possibly written by Wulfstan the Cantor
, though he can not have been the scribe (as some have thought) because the manuscript was written after his death.
The music contained in the troper was long considered to be indecipherable, as there are only rudimentary indications of pitch and duration by the use of a form of notation known as neume
s. However, recent scholarship, originally by Andreas Holschneider in Die Organa von Winchester, 1968, followed in the 1990s by Mary Berry, Christopher Page
, Professor Susan Rankin and others has allowed the music to be performed. (A recent CD of Christmas pieces from the troper can be found on "Christmas in Royal Anglo-Saxon Winchester" on the Herald AV Publications
label, HAVPCD151, sung by the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, directed by Mary Berry.) Professor Rankin has recently edited a facsimile of the Cambridge
manuscript, with an extensive introduction detailing how and why the books were made, as well as explaining the difficult notation and the principles behind the composition of the organum
.
This troper is also notable for containing the entire liturgical drama
Quem quaeritis, with music. This is the oldest extant medieval play with music, though it survives in other, earlier tenth-century manuscripts as well.
The title troper refers to the practice, common in the Middle Ages
of adding an additional section, or trope
to a plainchant
or section of plainchant, thus making it appropriate to a particular occasion or festival.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, along with the Chartres Manuscript which is approximately contemporaneous or a little later. It consists of two English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
manuscripts dated circa 1000. One can be found in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
(MS Bodley 775), the other in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
(MS473), but were copied out at, and originally used at Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
.
In the second of these manuscripts there are over 160 examples of 2-part organum
Organum
Organum is, in general, a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony, developed in the Middle Ages. Depending on the mode and form of the chant, a supporting bass line may be sung on the same text, the melody may be followed in parallel motion , or a combination of...
pieces, possibly written by Wulfstan the Cantor
Wulfstan the Cantor
Wulfstan the Cantor , also known as Wulfstan ofWinchester, was an Anglo-Saxon monk of the Old Minster, Winchester. He was also awriter, musician, composer and scribe. Wulfstan is most famous for his hagiographic work...
, though he can not have been the scribe (as some have thought) because the manuscript was written after his death.
The music contained in the troper was long considered to be indecipherable, as there are only rudimentary indications of pitch and duration by the use of a form of notation known as neume
Neume
A neume is the basic element of Western and Eastern systems of musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation. The word is a Middle English corruption of the ultimately Ancient Greek word for breath ....
s. However, recent scholarship, originally by Andreas Holschneider in Die Organa von Winchester, 1968, followed in the 1990s by Mary Berry, Christopher Page
Christopher Page
Christopher Page is an expert on medieval music, instruments and performance practice. He has written seven books regarding medieval music...
, Professor Susan Rankin and others has allowed the music to be performed. (A recent CD of Christmas pieces from the troper can be found on "Christmas in Royal Anglo-Saxon Winchester" on the Herald AV Publications
Herald AV Publications
Herald AV Publications is a British record label.Founded in 1984, Herald AV Publications was set up as a specialist Catholic recording company. It serves both to promote established professional artists and to provide an outlet for new artists...
label, HAVPCD151, sung by the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, directed by Mary Berry.) Professor Rankin has recently edited a facsimile of the Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
manuscript, with an extensive introduction detailing how and why the books were made, as well as explaining the difficult notation and the principles behind the composition of the organum
Organum
Organum is, in general, a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance the harmony, developed in the Middle Ages. Depending on the mode and form of the chant, a supporting bass line may be sung on the same text, the melody may be followed in parallel motion , or a combination of...
.
This troper is also notable for containing the entire liturgical drama
Liturgical drama
Liturgical drama or religious drama, in its various Christian contexts, originates from the mass itself, and usually presents a relatively complex ritual that includes theatrical elements...
Quem quaeritis, with music. This is the oldest extant medieval play with music, though it survives in other, earlier tenth-century manuscripts as well.
The title troper refers to the practice, common in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
of adding an additional section, or trope
Trope (music)
A trope or tropus may be a variety of different things in medieval and modern music.The term trope derives from the Greek τρόπος , "a turn, a change" , related to the root of the verb τρέπειν , "to turn, to direct, to alter, to change"...
to a plainchant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
or section of plainchant, thus making it appropriate to a particular occasion or festival.