Chants for the Mass
Kyriale, in Latin, calligraphic manuscript on vellum [?Austria, 16th century]
A Kyriale containing chant settings for the celebration of the Mass.

130 x 230mm. 54 leaves, contemporary foliation, notated in black ink on five-line staves ruled in red, three lines of text and music per page, text in black, calligraphic capitals in red throughout. Contemporary brown morocco binding (lacking metal bosses).

Provenance:
(1) Presumably written in the scriptorium of a religious house for use by the members in the celebration of the Mass: the clear, regular script and octavo choirbook format of the present manuscript suggests that it was made to be held in the hand during the service.

(2) Ketterer Kunst, Hamburg, 16 November 2018, lot 349.

(3) Schøyen Collection, MS 5594.

Content:
The present manuscript contains chants for the Ordinary of the Mass: the Kyrie (incipit: ‘Kyrie eleyson’), Gloria (‘Et in terra’), Credo (‘Patres omnipotentes’), Sanctus (‘Sanctus’) and Agnus Dei (‘Agnus dei’).