This is how Scotland sounded before the Reformation: researchers have uncovered a unique musical fragment.

An ancient musical fragment consisting of 55 notes, which has miraculously survived to the present day, has become a significant discovery for researchers. This recording, discovered in a breviary from 1510, is the only surviving musical work from the northeastern region of Scotland from that era.

2024-12-21 07:46:13https://focus.ua/technologies/684900-tak-zvuchala-shotlandiya-do-reformacii-uchenye-obnaruzhili-unikalnyy-muzykalnyy-fragment

Researchers are examining an ancient musical fragment that provides a rare glimpse into how music sounded over five centuries ago. This fragment, consisting of only 55 notes, has captured the attention of scholars eager to gain a deeper understanding of Scotland's musical traditions prior to the Reformation, writes Phys.org.

Investigators from Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Leuven in Belgium have identified the music as a harmonization of the hymn Cultor Dei, traditionally sung during Lent. Discovered in a copy of the Aberdeen Breviary from 1510, this musical fragment is the only surviving work from northeastern Scotland of that era.

The "Glamis copy," which was once housed in Glamis Castle in Angus and is now kept at the National Library of Scotland, also contains detailed records of the lives of Scottish saints and liturgical practices.

Despite the absence of text and attribution, researchers believe that the music originates from Aberdeenshire, likely linked to the Chapel of St. Mary, Retrey, and Aberdeen Cathedral.

The integration of the fragment into the breviary suggests it was preserved intentionally. Researchers noted its polyphonic nature—a style in which multiple melodies are sung simultaneously—reflecting well-known practices of Scottish religious institutions of the time.

David Coney from Edinburgh College of Art identified the fragment as part of a harmonization of Faburden, enabling researchers to reconstruct the full hymn.

The Aberdeen Breviary itself reflects King James IV's initiative to create religious texts tailored to Scottish practices, reducing reliance on imported materials. In addition to music, the breviary provides insights into its use: from the service of a rural priest in Aberdeen Cathedral to becoming a cherished family artifact of a Catholic traveler who journeyed across Scotland after the Reformation.

Dr. Paul Newton-Jackson from the University of Leuven highlighted the potential of similar finds in other 16th-century books, emphasizing the importance of such texts in uncovering cultural history.

We also reported on the unexpected connection between Charlemagne's shroud and a seal bag.