English musicians and their music were more prominent on the Continent after 1450 than has previously been thought. Walter Frye’s three masses, five motets, and four chansons demonstrate the particularly English style with which Continental composers had direct contact. Other composers, such as Josquin, Le Rouge, Agricola, Tinctoris, and Obrecht, drew upon Frye’s works in their own compositions. Through manuscript study and comparison of musical structure between his works, it can be determined that most of Frye’s works were transmitted as contrafacta, systematically fitted with new texts in French, Italian, or Latin instead of English. This transmission history demonstrates that Frye’s music was valued on the Continent and that it may be possible to identify more English works in Continental manuscripts after 1450.

Works: Walter Frye: Sospitati dedit (183-84, 193-95, 199), O sacrum convivium (183-94, 199), Ave Regina (187-97, 199), Trinitatis dies (193, 196, 199), O florens rosa (193-94, 199).

Sources: Walter Frye: Myn hert is lust (183, 185-89, 191, 199), Alas, alas, alas is my chief song (183-99), So ys emprentid (183, 185-91, 196-97, 199, 201), The princesse of youth (185, 188, 197).

Index Classifications: 1400s

Contributed by: Amanda Jensen