Songs in British Sources c.1150-1300 (XCV)

Edited by Helen Deeming

Partly as a result of the nature of their manuscript transmission, songs from the period 1150 to 1300 have remained unknown or unnoticed with the exception of Sumer is icumen in and Angelus ad virginem. The rich variety of content in MB95 is therefore an important corrective and addition to our knowledge of the period, and is evidence for a vigorous interest in the cultivation and preservation of song in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Not all the songs edited here originated in Britain, but their presence in manuscripts of British origin suggests that all were at least sung here. Most items are found uniquely in single music sources, or with text-only concordances, and around half are published for the first time.