GERMAN (Regensburg) 14th century — Gradual – a ‘temporal’ manuscript music sheet of Gregorian chant with an elaborate capital “C,” 1340

Colored inks on vellum; An illuminated manuscript is a prepared document whose text is decorated with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Catholic Church as psalters and courtly literature, the practice continued into secular texts from the 13th century on, including public proclamations, laws, charters, inventories, and as here, the score and text of Gregorian chant. Responsorial chants like the Gradual, originally consisted of a refrain called a respond sung by a choir, alternating with psalm verses sung by a soloist. Responsorial chants are often composed of an amalgamation of various stock musical phrases, pieced together in a practice called centonization. The pen work illumination of the capital letter “C” is very fine and quite elaborate.