PROCESSIONAL (SYON)
Vellum, 7.875 x 5.5, ff. 104 + 12, 8 lines of text and music (four-line stave)
to a page. 15th cent., well written.
Old binding, rough skin, once red, over boards.
Donor, T. C. S. Priced 10s. 2 fo. ris. Dum.
Collation: a4 (1 stuck to cover) 18 – 138 b4 c4 (4 stuck to cover).
From Syon Monastery: note the festivals of SS. Birgitta and Katherine
of Sweden.
Contents:
On the flyleaves, late. Sequence with music.
Deus creator omnium tu theos ymon nostri pie eleyson . . . f. ib
Processional, noted; Rubrics in English in the greater part of the
book.
Vppon cristmasse day at the procession in goynge forth . . 1
Response. Descendit de celis.
The rubrics throughout make mention of chantresses and sisters.
S. Birgitta occurs in the Rogation Litanies.
Translation of S. Birgitta, f. 50.
Natale of S. Birgitta, f. 60.
Canonization of S. Birgitta, f. 73.
Litanies for the days of the week, 81b. Birgitta occurs often:
otherwise Sarum form.
The hand changes about here, and the rubrics are in Latin.
The last offices are In die professionis, Rubrics for Holy Week,
De S. Anna.
On the leaves at the end (after 104), the hand is larger and later.
They contain:
Responsorium for S. Paul.
Ibo michi ad montem mirre.
Office on ‘Saynt Catheryne of Sweth day.’
In the feste of the holy name of Ihesu.
Negative microfilm in St John's College Library.
With regard to the change of hand, it has been suggested this is the hand of Thomas Raille, see Christopher de Hamel, 'The Medieval MSS of Syon Abbey, and their dispersal', in Syon Abbey: the library of the Bridgettine nuns and their peregrinations after the Reformation (London, 1991), p.85. MS. South Brent, Syon Abbey 1, Processionale, is said to have been written by the same hand, see N. R. Ker and A. J. Piper, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries, vol. 4 (Oxford, 1992), p. 335.
Veronica O.Mara. 'A Syon scribe revealed by her signature : Mary Nevel and her manuscripts'. In: Continuity and change : papers from the Birgitta Conference at Dartington 2015. Stockholm : Kungl. Vetterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien, 2017. pp. 283-308.