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TABLATURE SOURCES FOR LYRA VIOL MUSIC

INTRODUCTION

The Society's Index of Manuscripts Containing Consort Music, now in progress, generally excludes sources of tablature pieces. One or two exceptions have been made where these can be linked to a particular owner/copyist like John Browne, or where the tablature pieces are part of a composite collection like GB-Ob, MSS Mus. Sch. D.245-7, by John Merro (noted as IMCM in the list below).
Indexing lyra viol music is fraught with difficulties because the various manuscripts throw up numerous discrepancies. One piece might be assigned to several composers, appear in more than one tuning, or present variant readings, all of which hinder making a positive identification. In recent years Richard Carter has done much valuable work on the tablature music in the Thematic Index, pointing out corrections and finding concordances.
It has been proposed that an index for lyra viol music be created, listing pieces by source, similar to the published IMCM above. As work progresses we will place it on the Society's web-site Revision and correction will thus be relatively easy to manage. It is intended to show the concordances for each piece. The aim will be to provide a link to each manuscript from the list below.
Much work has already been done, although it will take time to create and co-ordinate the various files. Initially we have draft lists by Richard Carter, John Cunningham, the late Gordon Dodd, and John Robinson, which will provide a very firm foundation as the project gets under way.

Andrew Ashbee
March 2011

SOURCE LIST

(a) PRINTED SOURCES

(b) MANUSCRIPT SOURCES