The 11th century manuscript Montpellier H 159 and the mid-13th century copy, Brussels II 3824, are often identified as being functionally and musically identical to each other. However, there are several notational differences between the two manuscripts’ versions of Sacerdotes eius, as well as differences in the organization of the manuscripts themselves. Notational variations between the manuscripts’ versions of the chant consist of omitted pitches and small differences in melody, but the melodies are similar enough to suggest and interdependent relationship between the two versions. Another curious feature of the chant is its distribution in the Brussels manuscript. The chant Sacerdotes eius appears twice in the Brussels manuscript, within several folios of each other. This close positioning is unusual in the common practice of reincorporating specific melodies in the same gradual. Moreover, these two versions exhibit differences in pitches and cadential formulas which are striking, given that they appear near each other in the same manuscript and are written in the same handwriting. The differences in these two instances of the same chant suggests that the scribe copied exactly from his now unknown exemplar or exemplars.

Works: Montpellier H 159: Sacerdotes eius; Brussels II 3824: Sacerdotes eius.

Index Classifications: Monophony to 1300

Contributed by: Elizabeth Stoner