New Volume of the JAF: the Historical Context of the Salzinnes Antiphonal
© Halifax, Saint Mary’s University, Patrick Power Library, ms. M2149.L4, ff. [45bis]v - 46r / Alamire Digital Lab
During the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, the Low Countries were home to a wide variety of religious orders, each often distinguished by its own liturgical practices. Surviving sources show that factors such as geographical location, monastic rule, and the gender of a community’s members played a defining role in the development of local traditions.
The latest issue of the Journal of the Alamire Foundation (JAF) explores part of this rich diversity through the lens of the sixteenth-century Salzinnes Antiphonal, a manuscript originating from a former Cistercian convent in Namur. Whereas the previous issue of the JAF focused on the codex’s current home in Canada, this thematic dossier turns its attention to the manuscript’s historical region of origin. Contributions by Nicolas Bleisch, Céline Drèze, and Miriam Wendling examine a range of liturgical sources from neighbouring monastic communities, offering valuable insights into the religious and musical environment in which this luxurious antiphonary was produced.
In addition to the thematic section, this issue features two independent articles. Jane Alden investigates the place of the Leuven Chansonnier within the network of Loire Valley chansonniers, while Sergi González González presents new methodologies for the analysis of urban processions.
All issues of the Journal of the Alamire Foundation are available in Open Access via Brepols. Digital images of the Salzinnes Antiphonal can be consulted through the website of the Integrated Database for Early Music.