20 April 2025

Happy Easter! Today's post is mainly about the question "in Ox213, what IS an untexted passage?"

Oxford 213, my be-loathed...

About 20 or so folios into my spreadsheet, I realized that I need a concrete definition of 'untexted passage' before continuing on with cataloguing where they occur in the manuscript. So here's a list of criteria I will use going forward:

• Untexted passages count mainly at the ends of words or as standalone sections.
• "Untexted passages" across words with split syllables will not be regarded. Ox213's scribe often has seperated syllables of words across passages of music (see fols. ? for an example), and I usually take that to mean a sung melisma is intended. This occurs both for sacred and secular works in this compilation.
• A caveat to the above is at the beginning of a song: for example, in Ce jour de l'an, 'C' and 'e' is split between the opening passage. This example isn't across a syllable, but I can imagine there are others that might be.

Musical Find of the Week

Something a little different today: here's my least favourite Easter anthem. It's definitely someone's cup of tea, because it's one of the standard repertoire for this occasion- but it's not mine.