Brussels, Bibliotheek Koninklijke Conservatoria Brussel, P-2-01880 (Fragmentarium: F-ubu8)

This double-sided parchment leaf comes from the second half of the 13th-century, and now lives in the library of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. It would have been part of a large book called a noted breviary which combined both text and music for all worship services other than the Mass, which was given its own book. This leaf contains chants and readings that would have been heard before and during sunrise on the fourth Sunday after Easter. The blocks of text are portions of a sermon by Pope Gregory I, and the music that surrounds them are the pre-dawn responsorial chants for Matins and the shorter, but jubilant ‘Alleluias’ at the morning service of Lauds. The intricate pen-flourished initials in red and blue help to set off the two readings from the rest of the chanting, but the handwriting, classified as Northern gothica textualis formata is beautifully consistent throughout. The music is written in Lorraine notation on a red, four-line staff on which the ‘C’ line, and occasionally the ‘F’ line, is given at the left edge of each new system. The careful observer will notice the occasional b-flat sign amongst the note-heads. Interspersed between the Alleluias are indications of the musical pattern to which psalm verses would be sung. When you listen to this page, you will hear one example psalm verse sung to these ending-formulas, although in a service, you would have heard many verses.

• Kate Helsen