The Absolute Monarch

The picture I had of Bluff King Hal before starting this assignment was, I suspect, fairly typical; on the one hand the epitome of a renaissance man, athletic, artistic and gallant, on the other hand, a ruthless bluebeard who used up women in his quest for a male heir. As I learn more from the Grass Roots level, I can't help thinking that in a later age, he would probably be described, albeit quietly and far from court, as a Gunboat Diplomat.
Since I began working at the Black Swan Inn, in Greenwich, we have had the first snowfall of the winter and in addition to my usual round of scrubbing barrels and floors (not always with the same brush) I have been helping fetch faggots to kindle the fires which not only heat the rooms, but water for brewing and laundry, and the stoves for cooking. And among the stories which I have been hearing from the guests, is the good fortune that Will Somers has found.
The way I heard it, on his way back to his property in Isham, in the county of Northamptonshire, Master Fermor attended the King delivering letters and news from France and Italy gathered during a business trip. His fool Will Somers accompanied him to the court where he immediately attracted the attention of the King with his bold wit. The King and Queen Catherine were walking in the palace garden discussing developments in Europe with Richard Fermor and Henry mentioned his hope that Catherine would soon present him with a prince. At this point, Will Somers addressed the queen;
Look to thy husband, Kate, lest he cozen thee; provide civil oranges enough, or he'll have a lemon shortly

For the following song suggested by the sight of me nailing sprigs of holly and mistletoe to the rafters, I am indebted to Benjamin Comys, one of the itinerant immigrant musicians who often entertains at court. I have his assurance that this was indeed composed by his majesty who plays very well upon the harp, though I wouldn't recommend that Queen Catherine put too much faith in the sentiment expressed.

Arranged by Taco Walstra.

References

An introduction to reading lute tablature
                    

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A bastard genius

In a feudal political system, how does a duke try to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and expense when he foresees the probability of a power struggle? Well, one way is by sending a peace offering (bribe!)
On the left, is Lodovico Sforza, Il Moro (the Moor, a nickname supposedly given to him because he tanned easily) duke of Milan, and on the right, Lorenzo di Medici, Il Magnifico ('nuff said).
And the reason we're here, the young man with the rather splendid legs and the two young pageboys carrying the package in the damask behind him, is none other than Signor Leonardo da Vinci. The content of the package, which will be revealed in a few moments is a magnificent silver lyre in the shape of a horse's head crafted by Leonardo himself.
The lyre is an excellent idea for a gift, suggesting that Lodovico will appreciate the classical associations of the instrument of Apollo and Orpheus, as well as being capable of playing the instrument himself. The fact that it is made from silver should give it a characteristically sweet tone, as well as representing more lucre in the ducal vaults!
Since I couldn't find a picture of Leonardo's presentation this detail from the mural of the court of the duke of Mantua should give a fair idea not only of the fashions, but the kind of characters that hang out with the duke.
As a matter of course, it is expected of any young man who moves in aristocratic circles that he should be a skilled horseman, poet, philosopher, soldier, and musician, and once the lyre has been unwrapped and offered to Lodovico, etiquette demands that Lodovico invite Leonardo to demonstrate the gift.
After the first few bars the murmur of chatter fades away. I think the thirty-year-old craftsman painter has made an impression, and no wonder! The piece he has chosen to demonstrate the lyre is quite a challenging song by the Flemish composer Johannes Ockeghem.
The musical riddles which Ockeghem poses in some of his compositions will keep scholars hard at work for many centuries to come, and no doubt the gentlemen of the court who pride themselves on their mathematical and scientific knowledge will find matter for debate in this piece for months to come.

the abc notation for the music below is available online.

Before it is time for him to leave Milan and return to Florence once more, Leonardo has received an invitation to enter the service of the duke of Milan, and I suspect he has been taken into the confidence of the duke. While it is not supposed to be generally known, the duke has plans to encourage France to invade Italy, presumably confident of overpowering the French invaders with the help of the cunning of Leonardo, and simultaneously taking advantage of his weakened neighbouring duchies.
For his part, Leonardo left a sodomy charge behind in Florence, and although he was acquitted, I wouldn't mind betting he has more admirers in the ducal court here in Milan than just Lodovico! But it ill-behooves me to speculate on Leonardo's private life. Let me present for you Jan Ockeghem's music:

The written content of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Horseplay

(Friday, February 25th, 1600)

I would be the first to admit that I'm not a terribly good horse rider, and about a mile after leaving Ingatestone, I finally realized that my horse was favoring her right hind leg. Dismounting, I found that she had thrown a shoe, and while it wouldn't be a big problem on these dirt roads, in the long term it could lead to painful damage to her hoof, and the livery stable would certainly demand compensation from me when I change horses.

That was how I came to detour to Margaretting, the nearest village with a smithy. When I got there, three old men were sitting on logs in the shade of the barn end of the smithy while a "simple" lad busied himself chasing birds from the field beside the smithy. I asked the old fellows if the smith was also a farrier, and they laughed at me:

"No farrier, he. But a smith's no use in a village like this without he knows shoeing."

When the smith steps out of the workshop he calls to the lad chasing the birds and I watch in fascination as the boy gentles the horse almost as if they spoke the same language, while the smith sizes up the hoof that needs shoeing.

This is a fascinating process: first the surface of the hoof is pared with a sharp knife, and some dirt picked from the frog. I continue to watch patiently as the smith presses a hot metal shoe against the hoof making clouds of foul-smelling smoke, but my horse stands as calmly and patiently with her minder as if she were in her home stable. It takes a couple of returns to the ringing anvil inside the workshop to adjust the fit of the shoe and finally the smith twists off the protruding ends of the nails, rasping them flush to the wall of the hoof. The whole process has taken a little over an hour, not including time spent waiting.

When I get to the Saracen's Head at Chelmsford, it's late, it's cold, and I'm tired. But for once, I have a chance to talk to Will Kemp himself.

I ask Will Kemp what kind of jokes he uses, when he's not clowning. Of course, as he points out, most of the jokes he speaks on stage are written for him by the playwright, but

"I asked a painter of likenesses once 'how is it that your paintings are so fair, yet your children are so ugly?' 'Master Kemp' quoth he, 'I paint by day, but beget by night!'",

"John Nokes was driving his cart not far from here, and about noon, stopped to rest awhile. While he slept, thieves took his team, so that when he woke he exclaimed 'either I have lost my horses, or I have found a cart!'",

"What is't that a noble gentleman values so, that he wraps it in a silk kerchief, and keeps about him, yet a common beggar tosses away?"

When I admit to being stymied, he informs me "it is but the snot of their noses!"

Something about the way he tells it has me chuckling, and before I can regain my composure, he asks me if I would lend him my kerchief?

I pass it to him (it is clean, by the way) and he proceeds to stuff it into one nostril, then to my surprise (and mild disgust) draws it out of the other.

Before I can ask him to return it, he inserts it into the other nostril, sneezes a great sneeze, crosses his eyes, and proceeds to draw my kerchief from his right ear!

When Tom Slye his taberer joins us with a round of drinks, Will's eye catches a couple of wooden buckets standing in a corner, where the potboy left them after cleaning. Feigning drunk, he staggers across and trips on an imaginary uneven flagstone, landing with each foot in a bucket. Then quickwitted Tom (who presumably has had plenty of experience of Will's humor) strikes up yet another morris, and Will clumps the buckets to the tune of Bean Setting, a scene which puts me in mind of Gene Kelly's impeccable choreography in the 1949 musical, On The Town.

Kemp's Jig on Google Maps

References

Humor in Kemp's Day To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

The Scarlet Woman is Hatching the Egg of a Dragon

Pardonnez moi, Monsieur. My friend and I are in disagreement about the date. I maintain that this is the Year of our Lord 1593, but this simpleton, my friend, insists the year is 1594.

You should not speak so unkindly of your friend. Perhaps she was dreaming in the hot sunshine and has confused her dream with reality? it is the Year of Grace 1593.

I thank you Monsieur. You see? I told you so.

While we are in the marketplace, we should buy suitable clothing to disguise ourselves as clerics. It shouldn't be too difficult, since the habits are still fairly close to the kind of clothing worn by many poor people. Just in better repair. And then, we must find the cathedral school where it is a fair bet we will find Pére Tabourot teaching, or assisting in the cathedral. I am hoping we may be able to persuade Jehan to spare a little of his time to teach us some of the dance tunes for which he will one day be famous.

You seek Pére Tabourot? but you must hurry! He is summoned to the palace of the Bishop.

When we find Pére Tabourot he is about to leave his tiny office. The tiny elderly priest with short-cropped white hair and twinkling blue eyes has an enormous square bundle wrapped in coarse cloth tucked under his arm and a cane in his free hand.

God be blessed! Please come with me. Would you carry my burden for me? And may the Holy Spirit fill you with His wisdom to make up my shortcomings.

He doesn't even stop to ask who we are, or where we are from, so at least we are spared the risk of a carefully constructed backstory being exposed. And for a gentleman of seventy-four years with a cane, he moves through the crowds with an astonishing turn of speed, calling back to us every now and then to keep up, and offering a hasty blessing to those he bumps into in his haste.

The palace of Charles de Perusse des Cars, temporal duke of Langres and Bishop of Langres, is nothing if not palatial! Liveried guardsmen verify our credentials and the reason for our visit, liveried servants conduct us through the palace to the Bishop's library and bid us wait, and liveried servants bring silver trays of small delicacies to the library before another guest is ushered in.

His dress is not that of a cleric, but nevertheless is subdued in nature and the question in my mind concerning his identity is answered when Pére Tabourot addresses him in familiar terms.

It seems that Pére Tabourot has known Monsieur Edmond Richer for many years, assisted at his baptism, taught him latin and arithmetic, and now the two are brought together once more.

What mischief have you wrought now, Edmond? I doubt his grace would summon you simply for putting tacks on seats today.

In truth, Pére, I cannot be certain, but I think certain views that I hold buzz uncomfortably in the ears of the bishops and cardinals.

Before he can explain further, the conversation is interrupted by the entrance of the duke-Bishop himself, a grand figure in heavy robes and jewelry.

Thank you for attending today, Pére Tabourot, Monsieur Richer. I am charged by the cardinals with hearing for myself your beliefs concerning the authorities of church and state, and determining whether yours is a case for the Holy Inquisition.

Even though Richer must have been expecting something of this kind, his eyebrows rise slightly. Here in France, the Inquisition is less of a threat, but it remains a threat, nonetheless.

My lord Bishop, I first read the tract De Corrupto Ecclesiae Statu as a student, and in the years since I first read it, my convictions have only been strengthened that the charges leveled against the Church are for the most part sound. It is my conviction that until the powers of Church and State are separated, the Church will continue to be plagued by the corruption of small minds hungry for power.

I find myself more than a little anxious for Monsieur Richer, presenting his views in such an outspoken way to someone who, more than perhaps anybody else, represents the combined power of Church and State. As the discussion continues Richer makes it clearer that his greatest concern is the interference of pontifical authority in political matters, and the atmosphere in the room becomes less strained.
By late afternoon the discussion has covered much more ground, extending far beyond matters theological, and after sharing a light meal at the table of the duke-Bishop, Charles asks Pére Tabourot if he would entertain us. He has among his household possessions a chest of viols, and another of recorders, and Pére Tabourot picks up and admires several of the instruments before balancing a viol against his shoulder and bowing a jaunty melody.

X:21
T:La Millanoise % title
T:The Girl from Milan
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
F G A2 G F G2 A B | A2 G F G2 A B A2 z2 | G4 F4 z2 G2 |
G A B2 A G A2 B c B2 | A G A2 B c B2 z4 | A4 G4 z2 F2 |]

X:19
T:La Traditore my fa morire % title
T:The traitor, my killer
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/2 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
|: d d d c B2 A | A G G F2 D | d d c B2 A | G G F G2 z :|
|: A A A c2 c | c c c d2 d | d d c B2 A | G G F G2 z :|

X:20
T:Si J'Ayme ou non % title
T:Whether I love or not
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/2 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
A A A z A A | F G A z B B | A G A F z G |
F F E F z F | A G A F z F | D E F G z G |
A G A F z G | F F E F z F |]
These bare-bones melodies can scarcely do justice to the improvisations which he wove around them. All I can say is that before he set the viol down once more, our feet were tapping merrily.

To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

An Invitation to the Dance

Today (March 7th) is the feast of Saint Felicitas, patron saint of expectant mothers and here, in Langres, whose patron Saint Mammes is the saint of newborn babies, a special mass is being said for expectant mothers. Throughout the day there are various events including dancing (I am hoping several pavanes ¹ will be included for ladies in the more gravid condition).

Not being terribly familiar with sixteenth century dance (somebody once said I seemed to have eight left feet!), I thought it might be a good idea to look up any information I could find before leaving, and the best-known dance manual of the period which the library recommended was a French book, Orchésographie , by Thoinot Arbeau.

Let me quote below, the opening of his book, which takes the form of a conversation between a teacher and a visiting ex-pupil;

Capriol
I come to pay you my respects, Monsieur Arbeau. You do not remember me, for it is six or seven years since I left this town of Langres to go to Paris and thence to Orleans. I am an old pupil of yours, to whom you taught computation.

Arbeau
Indeed at first glance I failed to recognize you because you have grown up since then, and I feel sure that you have also broadened your mind by manliness and learning. What do you think of the study of law? I pursued it in bygone days myself.

Capriol
I find it a noble art and necessary in the conduct of affairs, but I regret that while in Orleans I neglected to learn fine manners, an art with which many scholars enriched themselves as an adjunct to their studies. For, on my return I have found myself in society, where, to put it briefly, I was tongue-tied and awkward, and regarded as little more than a block of wood.

Arbeau
You took consolation in the fact that the learned professors excused this shortcoming in recognition of the learning you had acquired.

Capriol
That is so, but I should like to have acquired skill in dancing during the hours between my serious studies, an accomplishment which would have rendered my company welcome to all.

Arbeau
This will be an easy thing by reading French books in order to sharpen your wit and by learning fencing, dancing and tennis that you may be an agreeable companion alike to ladies and gentlemen.

Capriol
I much enjoyed fencing and tennis and this placed me upon friendly terms with young men. But, without a knowledge of dancing, I could not please the damsels, upon whom, it seems to me, the entire reputation of an eligible young man depends.

Arbeau
You are quite right, as naturally the male and female seek one another and nothing does more to stimulate a man to acts of courtesy, honour and generosity than love. And if you desire to marry you must realize that a mistress is won by the good temper and grace displayed while dancing, because ladies do not like to be present at fencing or tennis, lest a splintered sword or a blow from a tennis ball should cause them injury. You remember Virgil's lines that tell of Turnus and his mistress, the beautiful Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus.

Illum turbat amor, figitque in virgine vultus:
Ardet in arma magis etc.

And there is more to it than this, for dancing is practised to reveal whether lovers are in good health and sound of limb, after which they are permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch and savour one another, thus to ascertain if they are shapely or emit an unpleasant odour as of bad meat. Therefore, from this standpoint, quite apart from the many other advantages to be derived from dancing, it becomes an essential in a well ordered society.

There's a recording of the Washerwomen's Bransle here, which gives a feel for the kind of music being played.

X:7
T:The Washerwomen's Bransle % title
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
N:Thoinot Arbeau was the nom-de-plume of Maitre Jehan Tabourot
N:Cleric, of Langres
M:4/4 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:180 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
|: "C7" G G G G | "F" F F B2 | "C7"c B A G | "F" G F G2 :|
|:"C7" G d "G" B d | "C7"c B A "F" G :|
|:"C7" G G F2 | "F"G2 A2 | "F"A A A B | "C7"c B A G |
"C7"G G F2 | "F" G2 A2 | "C7"c B A G | "F" G F "C7" G2 :|]

X:4 % number
T:Belle qui tients ma vie % title
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
N:Thoinot Arbeau was an anagram of Jehan de Tabourot
N:A professor of mathematics
O:Orchésographie % origin.
S:Transcribed from an arrangement by Karl Aloritias.
M:C| % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name=Soprano sname=sop. % voice 1
V:2 name=Alto sname=alt.
V:3 name=Tenor sname=ten.
V:4 name=Bass sname=bass clef=bass
[V:1]|: G2 G ^F | G A B2 | B d c B | B A B2 :|
w:1.Bel-le qui tiens ma vi-e Cap-ti-ve dans tes yeulx,
w:2.Pour-quo fuis tu, mi-gnar-de, Si je suis pres de toi?
w:3.Tes beau-tes et ta gra-ces Et tes di-vins pro-pos
w:4.Mon am-e vou-lait e-tre Li-bre de pas-si-on
w:5.Ap-pro-che donc ma bell-e, Ap-pro-che toi mon bien,
w:6.Je meurs, mon An-ge-let-te, Je meurs en te bais-ant
w:7.Plu-tot on ver-ra l'on-de Con-tre-mont re-cul-er,
[V:2]|: D2 D D | D F F2 | F F E F | G F F2 :|
[V:3]|: B2 B A | B c d2 | d B G d | c c d2 :|
[V:4]|: G,2 G, D, | G, F, B,,2 | B,, B,, C, D, | _E, F, B,,2 :|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G F2 | D2 E/F/ G | G ^F G2 |
w:1.Qui m'as l'ame ra-vi-e D'un sour--ris gra-ci-eux,
w:2.Quand tes yeux je re-garde Je me_ perds de-dans moi,
w:3.Ont echauf-fé la gla-ce Qui me_ ge-lait les os,
w:4.Mais l'a-mour s'est fait maitre De mes_ af-fec-ti-ons
w:5.Ne me sois plus re-belle Puis-que mon co-eur est tien,
w:6.Ta bou-che tant dou-cette Va mon_ bien rav-is-sant
w:7.Et plu-tot l'oeil du monde Ce-s-se-ra de bru-ler,
[V:2]F2 F F | D _E D2| D2 C D | D D [D2=B,2]|
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|
[V:4]B,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G ^F2 | D2 =E/^F/ G | G ^F G2 |]
w:1.Viens tot me se-cou-rir Ou me_ fau-dra mou-rir.
w:2.Car tes per-fec-ti-on Chan-gent_ mes ac-ti-ons
w:3.Et ont rem-pli mon coeur D'une a--mou-reuse ar-deur.
w:4.Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon_ coeur et ma foi.
w:5.Pour mon mal ap-pais-er Don-ne_ moi un bai-ser.
w:6.A ce coup mes es-prits Sont tous_ d'a-mour e-pris.
w:7.Que l'a-mour qui m'e-point De-crois--se d'un seul point.
[V:2]_B,2 F F | D _E D2 | F2 E D | D D D2 |]
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|]
[V:4]G,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2 |]

French Lyric

English Translation

Belle, qui tiens ma vie captive dans tes yeux, Qui m’a l’âme ravie d’un souriz gracieux, Viens tôt me secourir, ou me faudra mourir. Pourquoi fuis-tu, mignarde, si je suis près de toy, Quand tes yeux je regarde, je me perds dedans moy, Car tes perfections, changent mes actions. Tes beautes et ta graces Et tes divins propos Ont echauffe la glace Qui me gelait les os, Et ont rempli mon coeur D'une amoureuse ardeur. Mon ame voulait etre Libre de passion, Mais l'amour s'est fait maitre De mes affections Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon coeur et ma foi. Approche donc ma belle, approche toy mon bien, Ne me sois plus rebelle, puisque mon coeur est tien, Pour mon mal appaiser, donne moy un baiser. Je meurs mon Angelette, je meurs en te baisant, Ta bouche tant doucette, va mon bien ravissant A ce coup mes esprits, sont tout d’amour épris. Plutôt on verra l’Onde, contre mont reculer Et plutôt l’œil du monde, cessera de brûler Que l’amour qui m ‘époint, décroisse d’un seul point.

Beautiful one who holds my life Captive in your eyes, Who has ravished my soul With a gracious smile. Come to my aid Or I must die. Why do you flee, dainty one, If I am near you? When I behold your eyes I am lost inside myself Because your perfection [so affects my behaviour]. Your beauty and your grace And your divine ways Have melted the ice Which was freezing my bones And have filled my heart With a loving ardour. My soul wanted to be Free of passion, But love became master Of my affections And put under its law My heart and my faith. Come near, my lovely one, Come near, my [dear one], Do not resist me further For my heart is yours, To relieve my ills Give me a kiss. I die, my Little Angel, I die when kissing Your mouth so sweet. My very lovely one, With that touch my spirits Are completely lifted in love. Sooner will waves Flow backwards And sooner will the moon Cease to shine Before the love which conquered me Wanes a single iota.

I thought it might be interesting to pay a visit to Monsieur Arbeau, but none of the contemporary people with whom I talked had heard of him, which puzzled me particularly, since his dance manual seems to be almost unique; nothing as comprehensive has survived. It wasn't until I returned to my own time that the mystery was solved. When I talked to the librarian about the difficulty of locating Monsieur Arbeau I learned that his name was an anagram of Jehan Tabourot, a canon and teacher of mathematics and law at the Cathedral in Langres. Perhaps because he felt that a manual on dance would be an undignified publication to be associated with a professor, or perhaps simply to maintain the integrity of his reputation as a teacher, he adopted this innocent subterfuge. And once again, I find that wherever I go in history, it seems as if there is no escaping the clerics!

To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

---

Notes

1. Also known as the Cinque Pas, or "Sink-a Pace", for its five steps.
   

Little Barrels

An artist's studio is a strange and wonderful place, and I have always been fascinated by every opportunity to visit a studio. They are sometimes tidy, more often not, but always full of the semi-magical paraphernalia of creation.

It was during the time that we were loitering in the marketplace in Fiorenza that I noticed a young man buying a large quantity of eggs. Since most of the purchasers in the marketplace were women, and most of the men that weren't sellers seemed to be eyeing up the quality of the female flesh around them, he seemed like a good candidate to follow back to one of the studios. (If he had been buying merchandise in quantity in addition to the eggs I would have assumed that he was buying for one of the bigger households in the city).

Catching up with him on the way back to his place of work, it is easy to strike up a conversation. This young man has a lot to say (the corollary of course, is that he hardly seems to draw breath to allow a word in edgeways!) and we soon learn that he is one of the assistants of an important painter. The workshop itself is a long, low building, with its own yard space alongside where a couple of carpenters are working on wooden panels, using tools that will barely change in the next five hundred years: pinch dogs to hold planks together while glue sets, and planes

to smooth the surfaces. This is a little unusual. Normally, a studio would buy wooden panels for painting from a carpentry shop, and I wonder whether the Master of the workshop has hired these men for something he wants to oversee closely.

One of the workmen is whistling a tune which I managed to identify later as Quando ritrovo la mia pastorella, a pastoral madrigal. Presumably, he heard the song being sung somewhere, and some kind of mental composite of the four parts lodged in his memory! (I wonder whether the last line, something which approximates to "If you are penniless, get lost!" made it more memorable?)

X:17 % number
T:Quando ritrovo la mia pastorella % title
C:Costanzo Festa % composer
O:http://www.xprt.net/~vox/Music/166.nwc% origin.
M:C % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:180 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name="Cantus" sname="C." % voice 1
V:2 name="Altus" sname="A."
V:3 name="Tenor" sname="T."
V:4 name="Bassus" sname="B." clef=bass
%================2==============3==============4===========5===========6
[V:1] c2 c d | c>G A B | G F F c | c2 c2 | z2 B2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:2] F2 F F | F2 F F | E C D E | F2 F2 | z2 F2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:3] A2 A B | A>G F B | G F F c | c2 c2 | z2 B2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:4] F,2 F, B,, | F,>E, D, B,, | C, F,, B, C, | F,,2 F,,2 | z2 B,,>C, |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la
%
%===============7============8===========9========10==============11
[V:1] B B A2-|A A G c | c c c2 | c2 c2 | c c f f |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:2] F F F2 | z F G G | G G A2 | A2 A2 | A G B A |
w:pra-to con le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:3] B B A2-|A A G c | c c c2 | c2 c2 | c c d c |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:4] D, E, F,2-|F, F, C, C, | C, C, F,2 | F,2 F,2 | F, C,, B,, F, |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
%
%====================12=========13========14=============15================16
[V:1] d d c B | c2 A2-|A2 c2 | c c f f | d d c B |
w:pres-to la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve-
[V:2] G F E F-|F E F2-|F2 A2 | A G B A | G F E F-|
w:pres-to la sa--lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve--
[V:3] B A G F | G2 F2-|F2 c2 | c c d c | B A G F |
w:pres-to la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve-
[V:4] G, D,/F,/ C, D, | C,2 F,,2-|F,,2 F,2 | F, C, B,, F, | G, D,/F,/ C, D, |
w:pres-to_ la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve
%
%=============17========18=========19===========20==============21
[V:1] c2 A2-|A2 c2-|c2 c>B | A A A2 | F B A B |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:2] F E F2-|F2 E2-|E2 F>E | D D C C | z D D D |
w:-nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:3] G2 F2-|F2 G2-|G2 A>G | F F E2 | D G F G |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:4] C,2 F,,2-|F,,2 C,2-|C,2 F,>C, | D, D, A,,2 | B, G,, D, G,, |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
%
%==================22============23===========24===============25
[V:1] A A F F | c2 d>c | c A A2 | F B A B |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:2] D C D D | E2 G>F | E D C C | z D D D |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:3] E E D D | G2 B>A | G F E2 | D G F G |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:4] A,, A,, D, D, | C,2 G,,>A,, | C, D, A,,2 | B,, G,, D, G,, |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
%
%==================26==========27===========28=============29
[V:1] A A F F | f2 f f | f f d2 | c d2 c |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me co-tan-to
[V:2] D C D D | A2 A A | B A G>F | E/F/G/E/ F G-|
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me_____ co-tan-
[V:3] E E D D | d2 c c | d c B>A | G/A/B/G/ A G |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me______ co-
[V:4] A,, A,, D, D, | D,2 F, F, | B,, F, G,2 | C, G, D, _E, |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me co-tan-to du-
%
%==============30===============31=========32=============33
[V:1] d2 B A/G/ | F B A B | A A F F | z A A A |
w:du----ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:2] G ^F G G | z D D D | D C D D | z C D C |
w:-to du-ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:3] A A G2 | D G F G | E E D D | z E F E |
w:tan-to du-ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:4] D,2 G,,2 | B,, G,, D, G,, | A,,2 D,2 | z A,, D, A,, |
w:ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
%
%================34==============35=============36============37
[V:1] A c c c | A A A A | z A A A | A c c c |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:2] D E F E | D D C C | z C D C | D E F F |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:3] F G A G | F F E E | z E F E | F G A A |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:4] D, C, F, C, | D, D, A,, A,, | z A,, D, A,, | D, C, F, F, |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
%
%===============38=========39=============40============41===========42
[V:1] z c c B | c2 A2 | z A A A | A c c c | z c c B |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, v~al-la tu-
[V:2] z F E F-|F E F F | z C D C | D E F F | z F E F-|
w:va~al-la tu--a vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, va~al-la tu-
[V:3] z A G F | G2 F2 | z E F E | F G A A | z A G F |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:4] z F, C, D, | C,2 F,,2 | z A,, D, A,, | D, C, F, F, | z F, C, D, |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, va~al-la tu-
%
%=============43===============|]
[V:1] c2 A2-|!fermata!A4 |]
w:a via._
[V:2] F E F2-|F2 !fermata!F2 |]
w:-a vi--a.
[V:3] G2 F2-|!fermata!F4 |]
w:a via._
[V:4] C,2 F,,2-|!fermata!F,,4 |]
w:a via._
To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

Inside, the studio is quietly, but very efficiently bustling with activity, and the first thing that strikes me is the height of the ceiling. From outside, the building looked fairly low, like a tall shed. But now that we are inside, it seems more like an aircraft hangar from the twentieth century. And the high roof has several gantries, from one of which hangs a large altarpiece which is being worked on by a couple of men perched on a trestle. Most of the painting already has at least one layer of color applied, in some cases, surprising choices have been made! I would not have expected green flesh tones, but it is not for me to criticise the work of the craftsmen.

The supervisor of the workshop, a lean, energetic fellow who seems as if he cannot stand still, takes us in tow. It seems the Master is busy with other clients at the moment, but he would be happy to give us a tour of the workshop.

While there are several easels in use, there are also apprentices straddling low benches with drawings propped up. The supervisor tells us they are called "donkeys". Charcoal and red chalk seem to be the preferred media of most of the apprentices, but a couple of the boys are painting with diluted ink, copying from drawings by a more experienced hand.

Several times I have overheard conversations involving "pencils" but there are no wooden sticks with graphite cores to be seen. The supervisor explains that a pencil is the small brush, made with fine, tapering hairs, commonly squirrel. He seems amused that I should be curious about such insignificant details.

Toward the furthest end of the workshop, past the enormous altarpiece, is the colour store. Several rows of shelving hold large jars, and on the counter before them, apprentices are measuring and patiently grinding coloured minerals.

Where the painters are working, they have their own assistants mixing oil and apparently, melting beeswax into the powdered colours to make a thick, sticky paste. And now I get to see why the boy we followed was buying up all the eggs he could; over here, a team of painters are working on a painting using the much older, tried and tested medium of egg tempera, rather than the very new oil medium.

The youngest of the team carefully separates yolk from white, then with a dexterity that I have to admire, slits, and drains the yolk sac into a small cup from which the next in line adds the fluid to the powder which is still a very stiff paste, but becoming more gooey as we watch.

Nearer to the front (more respectable) end of the workshop some of the finished paintings are already displayed; examples of the craftsmanship offered here. There is a portrait of a young man in a red hat with a similar slightly aloof air, and the long hair of the fellow we followed coming here. And the same style of cap.

There is also a stunningly beautiful portrait of a woman, in profile. Had I not seen some of the imaginative ways the noblewomen style their hair I might have disbelieved the portrait, but only the visual movement of the strands requires a little suspension of disbelief.

The most impressive of all the paintings on display here is a huge "Pallas and the Centaur", a subject bound to appeal to the new, and growing humanist community in the city.

And almost as our tour of the workshop is completed, the Master himself has concluded his business with the previous client and is ready to attend to us. It seems we are in a position to deal with no less than Alessandro Botticelli himself! I recognize the slightly portly figure from his self-portrait in a work which will become famous many centuries from now.

A Bright and Shining Star

For a long while I have wanted to visit the city-state of Florence (or Fiorenza, as the locals pronounce it), but at the same time I have been anxious that I might be disappointed; well, time to swallow my doubts. We are going, and see what the city really is like under the hand of Lorenzo de Medici, the banker and de-facto ruler of the city whether the city elders approve or not. I have calculated the coordinates so that we will arrive in February of 1484. The city gates will be closed until early morning so, as representatives of a nearby town seeking financial support, we will join the handful of early travellers bringing produce from the fields. I think, in addition to our period clothes, it would be sensible to wear thick woolen cloaks against the pre-dawn chill.

While the city should be relatively stable and well-ordered by now, it is worth remembering that it is only six years since Lorenzo's brother, Giuliano, was murdered in the Pazzi conspiracy. Had it not been for quick reflexes, Lorenzo too might have been killed. What made it worse, was that the assassination took place in the Cathedral itself!

It seems that the first people on the city streets are mostly those who never leave them anyway, mostly beggars and the occasional cutpurse. Some of the beggars have the most hideous deformities and it is hard not to look away, particularly since I know that most of their diseases will be quite easily treatable in centuries to come.

I suggest the best plan of action is to make our way to the Cathedral and see what is happening there; since it is commonly used by everybody as a well-known meeting place we may be able to eavesdrop on some of the conversations and find out what news is making the rounds.

The Cathedral itself is a revolutionary building; proudly known locally as the Duomo or "dome", the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, to give its full name, was planned in the thirteenth century, but construction almost stalled when it came to building the dome itself. It would be the largest freestanding dome in all Western architecture, and a noble tribute to the glory of God, but after the death of the first architect, Arnolfo di Cambio, nobody was certain that a freestanding dome of such enormous size could practically be constructed. It wasn't until the Woolmerchants Guild, the Arte della Lana announced a competition to design the dome that a viable plan was developed.

Among the competitors, two men stood head and shoulders above the rest. The first, Lorenzo Ghiberti, was a skilled sculptor and metalworker who had rediscovered the method of lost wax casting originally used by the ancient Romans, but since forgotten.

The second was Filippo Brunelleschi, originally trained as a goldsmith, but also a sculptor and architect, the first artist to describe the laws of perspective.

By my reckoning the time must be getting on toward eight o'clock, in which case, hopefully most the people heading into the cathedral are on their way to attend the early mass.

It's not hard to sort out who is important and who isn't as we watch them enter. Puffed and slashed garments of velvet and silk are virtually the uniform of the wealthier merchants, and everybody is wearing a hat of some kind. I would almost bet money that the group of about eight men approaching includes Lorenzo de Medici himself. Why should I think that? well, the three armed guards, for one thing.

My thinking was that if we attended mass we should have a fair chance to see some of the most important people in the city today. I was interested to see how many of the new humanist thinkers were still concerned about the welfare of their eternal souls. My guess was that we would see that the christian tradition that is so deeply rooted in this culture would not be quickly swept aside. Once mass is over, I realize that it will not be quite so simple to identify the movers and shakers of the city. We obviously can't eavesdrop on every conversation going on as the congregants disperse, and I only know one or two faces from paintings, but I don't recognize anybody leaving the cathedral.

In any case, we can still spend a while wandering around the market in the piazza nearby.

We've been in the piazza for what I guess must be about ninety minutes, and a rather gaunt-looking friar in the white dominican robe with black cloak has shown up. He seems to have plenty of time to talk to the beggars, and goes from stall to stall, soliciting odds and ends of produce which he distributes to the beggars. Once he has made his rounds of the beggars, he climbs the pedestal of the cross in the center of the piazza and raises his hands, lowering his head.

When he raises his head once more, he declares in a loud, clear voice, but without shouting;

"vidi alium angelum descendentem de caelo habentem potestatem magnam et terra inluminata est a gloria eius et exclamavit in forti voce dicens cecidit cecidit Babylon magna et facta est habitatio daemoniorum et custodia omnis spiritus inmundi et custodia omnis volucris inmundae quia de ira fornicationis eius biberunt omnes gentes et reges terrae cum illa fornicati sunt et mercatores terrae de virtute deliciarum eius divites facti sunt"

I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.

With a mighty voice he shouted:
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
She has become a home for demons
and a haunt for every evil[a] spirit,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

As he continues to speak out against the corruption of a government ordained by God, the passion of his words seems to still the noisy bustle of the Italian marketplace: even stallholders lower their voices, and one or two turn to listen more carefully. This must be the famous (or infamous) friar Savonarola. By turns fiery and tender, he urges the common people around him to dedicate themselves anew to seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, trusting in God rather than the "broken reed of pagan teachings, which so long ago were done away, but now are held up once more by faithless men, seeking to usurp the sovereignty of God!" Savonarola takes the bold step of blaming the humanist patronage of the Medicis for the spread of "French Pox" within the city, and I wonder whether somebody will summon the constable, but it seems the crowd agrees with the friar.

By the time is sermon is finished, some of the listeners are already kneeling in prayer, and the friar moves among them, blessing them before he leaves the piazza.

It doesn't take long for the Italian spirit to reassert itself, and one of the first voices to pierce the quiet is a young man, singing and accompanying himself on a rather old and battered gittern. Once his song is finished, and before he begins another, it is possible to ask what he was singing. It seems he has got hold of a song by the city's patron, Lorenzo de Medici.

X:17 % number
T:Canto de Profumieri % title

N:a rough translation of the title would be "I sing of your perfume"

C:Lorenzo de Medici (Il Magnifico) % composer
O: % origin.
M:C| % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:Bb % key
V:1 name="Tenor" sname="T." % voice 1
V:2 name="First Bass" sname="B.1" clef=bass
V:3 name="Second Bass" sname="B.2" clef=bass
%==============2======3=======4=========5=========6=========7=========8============9======10
[V:1] c2 c2 | B3 c | d2 d2 | e2 e2 | e2 e2 | d3 e | f2 g a-| a g2 ^f | g2 z2 |
w:Sian ga-lan-ti di Va-len-za qui per pas-so ca-pi-ta___ti,
[V:2] c'2, c'2 | g3 a | b2 b2 | c'2 c'2 | c'2 c'2 | b3 c' | d'2 b c-| c'/a/ g A2 | g2 z2 |
w:Sian ga-lan-ti di Va-len-za qui per pas-so ca-pi-ta___ti,
[V:3] c2 c2 | g3 c | g2 g2 | c2 c2 | c2 c2 | g3 f/e/ | d2 g-f | e2 d2 | G2 z2 |
w:Sian ga-lan-ti di Va-len-za qui per pas-so_ca-pi_ta__
%
%==========11=======12========13======14======15======16========17=======18====19========20
[V:1] g2 g2 | d2 e2 | f>e d>c | B2 B2 | e3 e | d2 c2 | f2 e d-|d c2 B | c4 |: c2 c2 |
w:d'a-mor gia pre-si et le--gha-ti del-le don-ne di Fio-ren----za. Son mol-
w:*********************voi vin-
[V:2] g2 g2 | b2 c'2 | f2 f2 | e2 e2 | c'3 c' | b2 a2 | b>a g-f | e c B2 | c4 |: c'2 c'2 |
w:d'a-mor gia pre-si~et le-gha-ti del-le don-ne di Fio------za. Son mol-
w:********************voi vin
[V:3] c2 c2 | g2 c2 | d2 d2 | G2 G2 | _A3 A | B2 f2 | B2 c-d | B c G2 | c4 |: c2 c2 |
w:d'a-mor gia pre-si~et le-gha-ti del-le don-ne di Fio-----za. Son mol-
w:*******************voi vin
%
%==========21=====22========23========24======25======26======27==========28=========================29===========30
[V:1] d2 c2 | e3 f | g2 a g-|g f2 ^e | f2 z2 | f2 f2 | d3 e | f2 f2 |[M:4/2] g2 e f>e d/ c/ d2 |[M:C|] c4 :|
w:to gen-ti-le~et bel------le don-ne nel-la ter-ra no-------stra;
w:ce-ted'as-sai quel-------le co-me'l vi-so di fuor mo-------stra
[V:2] b2 c2 | g3 a | g a2 g | b c'2 b | f2 z2 | a2 a2 | b3 c' | d'>c' b-a |[M:4/2] g b c' d'2 c'2 b |[M:C|] c'4 :|
w:to gen-ti-le~et bel------le don-ne nel-la ter-ra no--------stra;
w:ce-te d'as-sai quel-------le co-me'l vi-so di_ fuor_ mo-----stra
[V:3] g2 c2 | c3 f | e c>d e | f d c2 | f2 z2 | d2 d2 | b2 b2 | b>c d2 |[M:4/2] e>d c B2 c g2 |[M:C|] c4 :|
w:to gen-ti-le~et bel-------le don-ne nel-la ter-ra no-------stra;
w:ce-te d'as-sai quel-------le co-me'l vi-so di_ fuor mo------stra
%
%===================31=======32========33======34========35=========36
[V:1][M:3/2] g4 g2 | f4 d2 | e4 e2 | d4 d2 | d4 e2 | f4 e2 |
w:ques-ta gran bel-le-za vo-stra con a-mo-re~a
[V:2][M:3/2] e'4 e'2 | d'4 b2 | c'4 c'2 | b4 b2 | b3-a g2 | f2-_a3 g |
w:ques-ta gran bel-le-za vo-stra con a-mo-re~a
[V:3][M:3/2] e4 e2 | B4 d2 | c4 _A2 | B4 B2 | B4 c2 | d4 c2 |
w:ques-ta gran bel-le-za vo-stra con a-mo-re~a
%
%==========37======38==============39========40======41========42========43
[V:1] d2 d4 | B4 B2 |[M:C|] c2 c2 | e2 e2 | d2 d2 | c2 c2 | g2 g2 |
w:com-pa-gna-te; se non sia-te~i-na-mo-ra-te e' sa-
[V:2] g4 f2 | g4 g2 |[M:C|] c'2 c'2 | c'2 c'2 | b2 b2 | c'2 c'2 | e'2 e'2 |
w:com-pa-gna-te; se non sia-te~i-na-mo-ra-te e' sa-
[V:3] B2 B4 | G4 G2 |[M:C|] c2 c2 | c2 c2 | g2 g2 | c2 c2 | c2 e2 |
w:com-pa-gna-te; se non sia-te~i-na-mo-ra-te e' sa-
%
%===========44========45======================46==
[V:1] f3 f | d d c2 |[M:4/2] B2 c d2 c2 =B |[M:C|] c4 |]
w:ria me-glio es-ser sen---za.
[V:2] d'3 c' | b b a2 |[M:4/2] g2 e f>e c d2 |[M:C|] c4 |]
w:ria me-glio es-ser sen---za.
[V:3] B3 c | d B c>d |[M:4/2] e>d c B>c A G2 |[M:C|] c4 |]
w:ria me-glio es-ser sen---za.

To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

Music in the Starlight

Coming as we did, from an age of flashlights and central heating, I had serious doubts about being able to see properly with a candle-lantern but now that my eyes have adapted it's quite surprising how much light it provides. My fingers are still a little sore from touching the hot lid, that's one mistake I won't make again.
I would have preferred to visit the city of Strasbourg in daylight, we might have been able to visit the unfinished cathedral although Erwin von Steinbach, the architect, stonemason and engineer whose name has been credited with much of the work of building the cathedral died more than 90 years ago.
While we make our way through these narrow, dark (and sometimes astonishingly stinky) streets, stay alert for the possibility of footpads. In a later age they would be known as muggers, but their methods and motives are no different. The night is their turf and the city watchmen never seem to be around when the footpads strike. Our destination is the house of Doctor de Raeve, a flemish physician who rents rooms to students at the University of Strasbourg.
The door is opened to us by the doctor's manservant, a portly fellow with a ruddy complexion. Having explained to him that we come in search of the English student, Master Dunstaple, the servant leads us up the steep stairs through the doctor's house while explaining that Master Dunstaple is not like the typical students; when most young men spend their evenings carousing in the taverns or gambling away their inheritances, Master Dunstaple prefers the company of his books and instruments.
"At least", he says "he isn't the one that wakes up chilled to the bone on the front steps, demanding that the door be unlocked to him an hour before the sunrise".
At the top of the house, in an attic apartment, Master Dunstaple receives us with a slightly bewildered look. I explain that we are fellow students who have come to request some help with a latin translation that is proving particularly difficult. (I have a roll of parchment with an inscription partially translated, but the original text has been deliberately miscopied). Once inside Master Dunstaple's apartment it isn't hard to engage his enthusiasm by asking about the armillary sphere standing next to the desk. In an open chest there are rolls of parchment and two books, one leather-bound, the other held between stout wooden covers. On the shelves against the wall beside jars whose labels indicate that they contain various medicinal herbs and minerals are an astrolabe and an alidade, and on the desk is an ephemeris table, something that must have taken hours to copy out on parchment by hand. Clearly, John Dunstaple is a serious student of astronomy.
By this time Master Dunstaple has identified the transcription error, for which I thank him. Watching his face carefully I tell him that I requested the transcription from a fellow-student, Johann Gutenberg, to provide me with more practice in translation.
The same bewildered expression that we saw before clouds his face for a moment, then "Ah! Yes, Johann Gutenberg. The University would probably expel him if they knew that he is a skilled engraver, as well as a student of the Quadrivium!". Taking the alidade from the shelf, "He engraved the scale on this for me as a personal favour. Of all my fellow students, perhaps he is the one who best understands my fascination with the music of the heavens. The Greek Pythagorus wrote that 'There is geometry in the humming of the strings... there is music in the spacing of the spheres.' and though some might call it a heresy, I can imagine no greater beauty than that pure music ordained by God himself."
This seems like a good moment to ask him about the beautiful portative organ which stands on one of the shelves in an open leather case. The portative organ is not the instrument of a casual musician. Most students of the time might strum a gittern, or at least play the rebec or lute. The portative organ suggests to me a thoughtful solitary musician.
X:16                         % number
T:Descendi in ortum meum     % title
C:John Dunstaple             % composer
O:http://www.upv.es/coro/victoria/varios.html % origin.
M:3/2                        % meter
L:1/4                        % length of shortest note
Q:                           % tempO
K:C                          % key
V:De name="Descant" sname="D." % voice 1
V:Al name="Altus" sname="A."
V:Te name="Tenorius" sname="T."
V:Ba name="Bassus" sname="B." clef=bass
%=========2===========3============4============5=========6=============
[V:De] G6 | B3 c d2 | d e2 d B2 | A2 B d c e-|e d c>A c B | A G2 c>B c |
w:De-
[V:Al] G6 | G4 F2   | G6        | A2 G F E2  | G2 A A2 G  | F E C2 E2  |
w:De-
[V:Te] z6 | z6      | z6        | z6         | z6         | z6         |
w:
[V:Ba] z6 | z6      | z6        | z6         | z6         | z6         |
%-
%==============================8===============================9=========10==========11============12============
[V:De] [L:1/8] d2 e2 de f3 edc | [L:1/4] B c/e/ d/c/ c c/ B A/ | c6       | z6        | z6          | z6        |
w:-scen-
[V:Al]         F G2 F G2       |         G c2 E D2             | C2 z2 E2 | E2 F A2 A | G F A>G G E | D2 z2 E F |
w:--------scen-
[V:Te] z6                      | z4 z2                         | c6       | c2 d2 c A | _B2 A2 =B c | d2 B c2 A |
w:De-scen-
[V:Ba] z6                      | z6                            | z6       | z6        | z6          | z6        |
%-
%===============14========================15================16============17============18=============
[V:De] z6        | z6                      | z2 B2 B2        | c d2 c A2   | G c d e>d c | B G2 A B d-|
w:-
[V:Al] G2 F D2 F-| [L:1/8] FG A3 G G3 ^FFE | [L:1/4] G3 E2 D | F2 A2 F2    | E2 F G E2   | D6         |
w:-
[V:Te] G2 z2  d2-| d c2 B A2               | G6              | z6          | z6          | z6         |
w:-
[V:Ba] z6        | z6                      | z4 G,2          | F,6         | C,6         | G,3 F, G,2 |
w:De-scen-
%-
%===================20===============21==========22==========23======24==============
[V:De] -d A B G c>B  | G ^F/G/ A G2 F | G6        | z4 G2     | A4 B2 | c3 B/c/ A B |
w:------------di in or-
[V:Al] z6            | z6             | G4 G2     | G2 A G E2 | D6    | E4 E2       |
w:-di in or-----tum
[V:Te] z6            | z6             | z4 d2     | d3 B3     | A4 F2 | G2       c4-|
w:in or-
[V:Ba] D,2 G,2 F, G,-|G, B, C, G, A,2 |       G,6-| G,6       | D,6   | C,6         |
w:---------di_ in or-
%-
%===============26===========27====================28=========29============30==========
[V:De] G A2 G2 c | B c d2 B c-|c/B/A/G/ G E ^F E/F/ | G6       | z4 G2       | B2 c3 B |
w:tum___ me--------------um, ut vi-
[V:Al] E3 C E F  | D E D G2 A-| A F D E C2          | D2 z2 G2 | G3 F/G/ E D | D2 E4   |
w:me-------------um, ut vi-
[V:Te] c4 A2     | G2 z B2 A  | F2 G C c2           | B4 G2    | C6          | z6      |
w:--tum______ um,__
[V:Ba] C,6       | G,4 G, F,  | A,2 B, C A,2        |      G,6-| G,6         | z6      |
w:tum me-------um,_
%-
%==============32============33============34===========35===================36========
[V:De] d3 B c d-| d B d c A B-| B e2 e d c  | e2 c d c A-| A/G/ A _B F G F/G/ | A6    |
w:de----------------------------rem
[V:Al] D4 E F   | G2 F A2 G   | E2 G E F2   | E2 z4      | z6                 | z4 A2 |
w:de------------rem
[V:Te] z6       | z6          | z6          | e3 c A2    | c2 d2 _B2          | A6    |
w:vi---de---rem
[V:Ba] z6       | z6          | z6          | z6         | z6                 | z6    |
%-
%===============38===========39==========40==========41==========42===========================
[V:De] z6        | z6         | z6        | z6        | z6        | z6                       |
w:-
[V:Al] A3 G G F  | A2 G F D E-| E C2 D2 C | C2 D F2 E | F A2 G2 F | [L:1/8] E2 G2  FE E3 DDC |
w:po----ma con---val-
[V:Te] A2 d2 _B2 | A2 B d2 c  | A2 F4     | A4 B c    | d2 c B A2 | G E2 G F2                |
w:_ po--ma con---val-
[V:Ba] z6        | z6         | z6        | z6        | z6        | z6                       |
%-
%================44=========45=========46===========47===========48==================
[V:De] z6         | G3 A B2  | c3 B G A | G B c A2 c | B2 G B A c-| c/B/ G2 A F E   |
w:con-val-li
[V:Al] [L:1/4] E6-| E4 G2    | E6       | E4 E F     | G F E D2 C-| C/D/ E C A, B,2 |
w:li-
[V:Te] E2 z2 G A  | B3 c B G | A2 G2 c2 | c6         | d2 B G A2  | G2 z2 F2        |
w:li-
[V:Ba]        E,6-| E,6      |      C,6-| C,6        | G,4 F,2    | C,2 D,4         |
w:con----val-li-um,_
%-
%===============50======51========52========53============54=============
[V:De] G6        | z6    | G4 G2   | c3 c c2 | c2 B d>c B  | A A2 G G F |
w:um,  Et in-spi-ce-rem si___ ru-is-
[V:Al] C4 z2     | E4 E2 | E3 E E2 | A4 A2   | F>E G F E D | D3 D B, A, |
w:um, Et in-spi-ce-rem si____ flo--ru-is-
[V:Te] E G2 A G2 |    C6-| C6      | z4 c2   | c2 d2 B G   | A d z2 G2  |
w:um,___ Et_ in-spi--ce--rem_ si
[V:Ba] C,6       |    C6-| C6      | F,6     | A,2 G,2 E,2 | F,2 E,4    |
w:_ Et__ in---spi-
%-
%================56===========57============58===========59=========60========
[V:De] A2 d3 c    | c2 B d2 c  | A3 G/A/ G F | F2 E E F D | F2 z2 c2 | c4 A2 |
w:sent___ vi--------ne-----e et ger-mi-
[V:Al] D2 F G  A2-| A F2 G E D | F4 z2       | z6         | z2 A3 G  | G2 E4-|
w:---------sent et_ ger-
[V:Te] F A2 _B A2 | c2 d2 B2   | c2 d2 e c   | c3 B B A   |       c6-| c6    |
w:flo---ru-is---sent_______ et_
[V:Ba] D,4 F,2    | A,2 G,4    | F,4 E,2     | F,2 G,4    | F,6      | C,6   |
w:_ ce-rem_ si flo-ru-
%-
%===============62===========63==============64=========65==========66==========67================
[V:De] G2 A c2 A | B c d2 B d | c A2 G G F/G/ | A2 z2 c2 | d f2 e d2 | c A2 G2 c-| c/B/ c d2 B A |
w:nas---------------sent ma-la___ pu---ni-
[V:Al] E2 F2 F E | G2 D E2 D  | F E E D2 C    | E4 z2    | A6        | E6        | D4 D2         |
w:__mi--nas---------sent ma-la pu-ni-
[V:Te] C2 F3 c   | d3 B2 G    | c2 G2 z2      | c4    A2-| A2 F4     | C6        | G6            |
w:ger-mi--nas__ ma--la___ pu-ni-
[V:Ba] C6        | G,6        | A,2 _B,4      | A,6      | F,4 F,2   | C6        | D6            |
w:is--sent_ et ger-mi-nas-
%-
%========68======69==========70===========71=========72==========73================
[V:De] c6 | z4 c2 | c2 c2 c2  | A6         | G4 G2    | A4 A2     | c2 d c B c/B/ |
w:ca; re-ver-te-re,_ su-na-mi-
[V:Al] E6 | G4 z2 | A2 A A A2 | E2 E3 E    | E2 E2 E2 | F3 E   C2-| C F2 D F G    |
w:ca_ re-ver-te-re, re-ver-te-re, su-na-mi-
[V:Te] C6-| C6    | z4 A2     | c3 c c2    | c4 c2    | c2 d c2 A | A2 F2 A B     |
w:ca;_ re-ver-te-re su-na-mi-
[V:Ba] C6-| C6    | z6        | z6         | z6       | F,4 F,2   | F,4 F,2       |
w:sent_ su-na-mi-
%-
%===========75======76=========77======78=========79======80============
[V:De] G2 G4 | A4 c2 | c2 B4    | A6    | z6       | z4 d2 | d3 ^c c B |
w:tis; re-ver-te---re, ut in-
[V:Al] E2 E4 | F6    | A3 A ^G2 | A6    | F2 E4    | D6    | z6        |
w:-tis; re-ver-te-re, re-ver-te-re,
[V:Te] c6    | z6    | z6       | z4 d2 | d2 ^c3 B | d4 d2 | d2 e4     |
w:tis; re-ver-te--re, ut in-
[V:Ba] C,6   | z6    | z6       | z6    | z6       | z6    | z6        |
w:
%-
%===============82===========83============84============85=======86==========87==============
[V:De] d3 c _B A | A2 G E F G | B c>B A>F E | F G>F F2 E  | F6     | z6        | z6          |
w:tu---------e-----------a-
[V:Al] z6        | z6         | z6          | z6          | z4 F2  | G2 E A2 G-| G F E C D E-|
w:ut in---tu-
[V:Te] d6        | c4 A B     | G>F G A2 G  | A _B c A G2 | F6     | z6        | z6          |
w:tu----e----------a-
[V:Ba] z6        | z6         | z6          | z6          | z4 F,2 |       C,6-| C,4 F, G,   |
w:ut in--tu-
%-
%===================90===============91==============92=========93==============94=========95==============
[V:De] z6            | z6             | z6            | z4 A2    | A3 B c2       | d3 c A B | A d2 ^c c B |
w:mur-
[V:Al]EF G2 F      G-| G/F/E/D/ C2 D2 | E F2 D2 ^C    | D6       | z6            | z6       | z6          |
w:------------a---mur-
[V:Te] z6            | z6             | z6            | z2 A2 A2-| A F2 G G F    | A4 A G   | A2 F2 E2    |
w:mur-
[V:Ba] A,2 B, G, A,2 | G, C,2 E, F,2  | G, D, F,2 E,2 | D,6      | F,2 A, G, E,2 | D,2 z4   | z6          |
w:----------a--mur-
%-
%==
[V:De] d4-d B | A A2 c d2 | e3 c d c | A G B c d2 |c A2 B   c2-|c B G G2 ^F     | G6  |]
w:-------------------------te.
[V:Al] z4 D2  | D3 E F2   | G2 A3 F  | F2 E3 D    | F3 E C D   | E3 C B, A,/B,/ | C6  |]
w:-------------------te.
[V:Te]     D6-| D2 A2 B2  | c4 A2    | c2 B3 G    | A B c2 A F | A G2 E F D     | G6  |]
w:-------------------te.
[V:Ba] z4 D,2 | D,6       | C,4  F,2-| F,2 G,4    | F,6        | C,2 E,2 D,2    | C,6 |]
w:----------te.To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].


The song reproduced above, is Dunstaple's Descendi in Ortum Meum. I have an odd feeling that we will be meeting Master Dunstaple again.