# Can Anyone Read Early Medieval Music Texts?



## regenmusic

I had a miracle happen to me on Saturday. I was praying about what I should do that day and I felt the Lord strongly give me an idea to go to a certain thrift shop in Burien, which is about 30 miles from where I live. I got this thought of finding an expensive music synthesizer, that seemed to be part of what I felt, but I don't know if that was from me or God. I went down there and first found a copy of a 1900s positive thinking author I like named Orison Svet Marden. It was called Pushing to the Front. I felt grateful and didn't see anything else in the shop so I left. I realized that there would probably be different things out if I was to come back, so I came back in an hour. I looked over and next to a guy I saw what looked to be a Medieval vellum music sheet. I asked him if I could see it and he said yes. I saw that in fact it was authentic, we're talking about five or six hundred years old! It had no price on it so I realized I would have to get them to price it for me. I was nervous as I was thinking they were going to realize what they had. The young lady came back and gave it to me and it had a price of $2.99! I still thought I'm not safe until I am out the door, but I made it through and now it's in my living room. It's double sided like many of them are, and it's Latin text with musical staffs and some ornate capitals.


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## jalexis

You should find reading guides on the internet. Try the wikipedia pages for Mensural notation or (Visigothic) Neumes.


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## Manxfeeder

regenmusic said:


> I had a miracle happen to me on Saturday. I was praying about what I should do that day and I felt the Lord strongly give me an idea to go to a certain thrift shop in Burien.


I love it when those things happen.


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## regenmusic

Here is the other side.


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## Mandryka

If I were you I’d send the images to a good auction house, Sotheby’s or Drouot. They’ll tell you what it is. Someone once told me that the more white space on a parchment, the more likely it was owned by someone wealthy, because the parchment itself was so expensive. That’s what makes me think that yours is worth running past an expert.


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## Guest

I think this is a Latin Introit, or Gregorian chant for the Feast of St. Stephen , who you recall is the first Saint of the Calendar after the Holy Nativity. 
What it says is, in those days St. Stephen, filled with grace, filled with the Holy Spirit went about doing great deeds and signs among the people. What follows is parts of the liturgy based on medieval form appropriate for the feast of St. Stephen. Suffumini is I think the incense and the words refer to the release from evil of the devil who walks about (ambulatio) looking for mischief.


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## regenmusic

poco a poco said:


> I think this is a Latin Introit, or Gregorian chant for the Feast of St. Stephen , who you recall is the first Saint of the Calendar after the Holy Nativity.
> What it says is, in those days St. Stephen, filled with grace, filled with the Holy Spirit went about doing great deeds and signs among the people. What follows is parts of the liturgy based on medieval form appropriate for the feast of St. Stephen. Suffumini is I think the incense and the words refer to the release from evil of the devil who walks about (ambulatio) looking for mischief.


Thanks very much! I'm very grateful for your expertise in this.


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