Let Us Rejoice
[GRADUAL.]
With chants for the feasts of St Michael and All Saints. Northern Germany, c. 1300.
A complete vellum leaf (c. 325 x 245 mm, text area c. 250 x 185 mm), music in black ink on four-line red staves, text in black and red ink written in a gothic liturgical script, the verso with a large initial ‘G’ (Gaudeamus) in blue infilled and outlined with foliate roundels and flourishing in red ink extending into the margin, and a smaller initial ‘T’ (Timete) in red with black flourishing, the recto with an initial ‘B’ (Benedicite) in blue, contemporary foliation ‘clxxvii’ to recto; a diagonal hole (c. 35 x 5 mm) from a cut/flaw in the vellum (not touching text), some light marginal staining, paper adhesions at head of recto from previous mounting; well preserved; some modern pencil marks to verso.
An attractive leaf with a striking ornate initial ‘G’ at the opening of the introit chant for Mass on the feast of All Saints.
The chants for the feast of St Michael (29 September) are followed by an elaborate rubric summarising the liturgical practice to be followed for the feasts of St Jerome (30 September), St Denis (9 October), St Luke (18 October), and St Simon and St Jude (28 October). The note at the foot of the page inserts the feast of St Ursula and the eleven thousand virgins on 21 October.
The hole left by the cut/flaw in the vellum has been expertly navigated by the scribe, one of the staves to the recto breaking off before and recommencing after it.