Restoring polyphonic fragments from the Eton Choirbook:
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Arts and Cultures
Abstract
A study of contemporary reconstruction and fifteenth-century compositional processes.
The Eton Choirbook is perhaps the most significant source of pre-reformation English
polyphony; in June 2018, it was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
However, the loss of leaves from this manuscript means that sixteen incomplete or
fragmentary pieces have been neither studied in detail nor, in most cases,
polyphonically reconstructed. This project will generate a unique set of six hypothetical
reconstructions, four of which have never previously been published. Enhanced by
collaborative creative practice, these reconstructions will inform an analysis of
late-medieval compositional processes and lead to an evaluation of reconstruction
processes as a means of understanding early music.
The Eton Choirbook is perhaps the most significant source of pre-reformation English
polyphony; in June 2018, it was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
However, the loss of leaves from this manuscript means that sixteen incomplete or
fragmentary pieces have been neither studied in detail nor, in most cases,
polyphonically reconstructed. This project will generate a unique set of six hypothetical
reconstructions, four of which have never previously been published. Enhanced by
collaborative creative practice, these reconstructions will inform an analysis of
late-medieval compositional processes and lead to an evaluation of reconstruction
processes as a means of understanding early music.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Magnus Williamson (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Michael Winter (Student) |