EARLY MUSIC

Part 2: Music Manuscripts, 1500-1793, from the National Library of Scotland

As one would expect, the National Library of Scotland holds a high proportion of the surviving sources for early Scottish music and these are all featured in this collection.  As such, this is an important source of fiddle and pipe music.  Scottish musical traditions are traced from the Scone Choir Book - dating from the first half of the 16th century and containing masses and motets composed by Robert Carver and others - through to the 18th century Cuming Music Ms and MacArthur Ms - containing works for the violin and pipes. 

Other exceptional items include the Leyden Song Book - of c1639, including works by John Bartlet, Thomas Campion, John Dowland, Robert Jones, Lady Anne Ker, John Leyden, and Thomas Tallis - and the Skene Manuscript - of c1615-1635, offering 117 pieces in tablature for the mandora, including tunes from several Jacobean masques.

The Library is also a significant source of early French music, particularly in the Panmure Music Books collected by James and Harie Maule between 1678 and 1683, when in exile.  Composers featured include Gautier le Vieux, Vincent, Pinel, Bouvier, Rene Mesangeau, Lully, de Ste Colombe and Marin Morais.  There are a further six volumes picked up by the Maule's in Italy after the 1715 rising (featuring Albinoni, Bononcini, Gasperini and Sabatini).