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ca 1500's. Very large hand made choir book with pages made of vellum and all information herein was done by hand including gold leaf illuminations.
An antiphonary is a specialized liturgical choir book used in Christian (especially Catholic and monastic) worship. It contains the antiphons—short refrains sung before and after psalms—along with the full set of chants, musical notation, and texts needed for the Divine Office (the cycle of daily prayers such as Matins, Lauds, Vespers, and Compline).
What it includes
Antiphons (the defining feature)
Psalms and canticles arranged for chanting
Hymns and responsories
Neumatic notation (early musical notation used in Gregorian chant)
How it was used
Typically placed on a large lectern so an entire choir could read from it
Used by monks, nuns, or church choirs during daily communal prayer
Organized according to the liturgical calendar (feasts, seasons, saints’ days) |
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