| Psalmody |
The customs of psalmody vary from church to church, and different traditions can be discerned in the Low Countries. Just as with notational types and chant dialects, this is probably the result of the position of the Low Countries at the border line of different traditions.
In many office manuscripts directions for psalm chanting are found, mostly indicated by incipits and differentiae only. The psalm tones are usually not written out in full, so that the mediationes are unknown; we might infer them from the antiphon verses of the feasts for Paulus and Laurentius.
Sometimes more extensive information can be found. The small tonary of
B-TO ms 64 (f. 249v-253v) displays the use of
the tones of the 8 modes almost completely. Differences with present
practice are as follows: both the first and second half verses of the
Magnificat and Benedictus canticles have an opening inflection (while
according to the present use the second half begins 'recto tono');
besides, the mediationes are different.
The manuscript clearly
indicates the special treatment of the monosyllable words and the
Hebrew names at the end of the first verse halves (as was again the
usage at the end of the 19th century; cf the liturgical books of that
time); see Het gregoriaans in
de Lage Landen, p. 10.
Minor indications for Magnificat and
Benedictus tones are in B-TO 63, fol. 298r
(both 4th mode).
Many details of the Tongeren psalmody practice are confirmed by D-AAm G33, a 15th century office manuscript for the cantor, containing only incipits.
The practice of Mariakerk Utrecht is recorded on one of the flyleaves of NL-Uu 407 and NL-Uu 409, fol. 304v.
The psalm practice of St. Jan in 's Hertogenbosch is recorded in an NL-SHsj 216-1 (intonation book). For the Gregoriushuis in the same city see: NL-DHk 128 C 6, that has some verses of psalms and canticles.
Tones from Groningen are in NL-Au I B 50, fol. 185r.
The Ahrweiler practice is described by Heckenbach, pp. 23-28 for the oktoechos modes, and pp. 51-53 for the Tonus Peregrinus, displaying only one reciting tone (a), instead of the well known two (a and G).
The Rijnsburg antiphoner NL-DHk 73 E 8 contains a small tonary (f. 1r-1v), that shows some differences with the Rheinland practices. One of these is that the treatment of the monosyllables and Hebrew names is not clearly indicated.
A small tonary with the psalm and canticle tones is also in NL-Lu BPL 2777 of Oegstgeest parish church near Leiden. Ms LT-Va F22.95 from Marienpoel near Leiden contains a Tonus Peregrinus, fully written out.
16th century Augustinian psalm tones (Brabant or Holland?) are in NL-DHk 78 J 44, fols. 69-103r.
An unknown psalm chanting practice is recorded in Matins of the 1st Advent Sunday in NL-Uu 406; see the facsimile edition, pp. ix and fols. 5v-6v.
A tonus peregrinus is written out fully in NL-Uc BMH 24, and in NL-Uc BMH 23. And in LT-Va F22.95, fol 222v.
Ms NL-DHk 78 J 43 (1st half 16th century, Stephanusabdij near Utrecht) contains tones for the Magnificat: fols. 214r-215r (NB: 8 okto-echos modes plus the tonus peregrinus). On fols. 218r-228r the entire Magnificat (all verses) is written out fully in all 8 modes, and on fols. 228r-239v the same for the Benedictus.
Magnificat and Benedictus tones are written out fully in most modes in NL-Uc BMH 24.
A minor indication is in NL-DHk 68 A 1, f. 1r bottom margin (Magnificat tone).
Modal melisms
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