Description
Book SynopsisThe first study focusing on the composition of new plainchant in northern-French confraternities for masses and offices in honor of saints thought to have healing powers Starting in the fourteenth century, northern France saw the rise of confraternities and other lay communities of men and women, organized around trades and religious devotions dedicated to specific patron saints. The composition of new plainchant for masses and offices in honor of saints thought to have healing powers occupied an important place in the devotional landscape of the region. Sarah Ann Long's deeply researched new book highlights the decentralized nature of religious and spiritual authority from 1300-1550, which allowed confraternities to cultivate liturgical practices heavily influenced by popular devotional literature. It challenges pre-conceived notions of the power of the Catholic Church at that time, and the extent to which religious devotions were regulated and standardized. The resulting conclusion is that confraternity devotions occupied a liminal space that provided a certain amount of musical freedom. Examining musical culture at the intersection of the medieval and early modern eras, this work explores such subjects as manuscript production and early music printing; and it investigates not only plainchant, but a broad range of musical styles from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. These include polyphonic embellishments of chant written by some of the most famous composers of the era, which were performed at the French, Burgundian, and Papal Courts.
Trade ReviewA fascinating way to delve into a research area that was only peripherally examined in the past. Long writes clearly. Richly illustrated with images of manuscripts, musical examples, texts (with English translations). * AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE *
Long is dealing with a very broad cross-section of medieval urban society. [The texts explored here] seek with remarkable directness to ensure the health and spiritual well-being of confraternity members. Long's study is an important contribution to our understanding of late medieval liturgical music outside the chancels of cathedrals and other elite institutions. * JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MUSICOLOGICAL SOCIETY *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Editorial Procedures for Foreign Languages and Music Examples Introduction Confraternities and Popular Devotions to St. Barbara in Tournai Relic Translation and Healing in Liturgies for St. Catherine and St. Nicholas in Paris Historical Narratives and the Importance of Place in Masses for St. Sebastian Compositional Practice, Networks, and the Dissemination of the Mass Ordinary in Confraternity Sources The Role of the Parisian Book Production Community in the Perpetuation of Popular Devotions Conclusion Appendix 1 Sources Appendix 2 Inventories of Sources from Tournai Appendix 3 Scribal Hands and Gatherings in the Tournai Notary Confraternity Manuscripts Notes Bibliography Index of Chant and Polyphonic Compositions Index of Early Printed Liturgical Books Index of Manuscripts General Index
