Conditions Governing Use

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Manuscript page of Gregorian chant propers for two occasions, including the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from an Italian choral book, C0499, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Steve Gerber, George Mason University's Music Liaison Librarian, in February 2017.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Elizabeth Beckman in April 2022. Finding aid published by Elizabeth Beckman in April 2022.

Historical Information

The mass ordinary and the propers are two major parts of the Catholic Mass that are frequently sung. The Mass Ordinary consists of the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. The text of these prayers does not change throughout the year - they are the same from day to day and week to week at every mass. In contrast, the text of the propers, which consist of the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia verse or Tract, Sequence, Offertory, and Communion antiphons, changes to reflect the liturgial character of the day or the feast being celebrated (see Choral Public Domain Library, "Mass").

Scope and Content

This manuscript is a single vellum page cut from a larger choral book used in the Catholic mass, probably in the late 15th-early 16th century. This particular page contains some of the Gregorian chant propers used during the mass. The recto side contains the Offertory chant "Justus ut Palma florebit" and Communion chant "Fidelis servus et prudens," probably used for the feasts of Doctors or Confessors of the Church (Choral Public Domain Library, "Justus ut Palma" and "Fidelis servus et prudens - Heinrich Isaac"). The verso contains the Introit "Salve sancta parens" and the beginning of the Gradual "Benedicta et venerabilis," two of the propers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which occurs on September 8 (Choral Public Domain Library, "Category:Nativity of the BVM").

Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds a second Manuscript page of Gregorian chant propers from an Italian choral book, as well as other manuscript liturgical music.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Gregorian chants
• Music
• Propers (Liturgy)