Latin motets, English doxologies, and a selection of textless chansons compiled by a gifted calligrapher
Dow Partbooks

Dow Partbooks
These five books were created by the scribe Robert Dow (1553–1588) at Oxford ca. 1580
960 impressive pages altogether present a diverse repertoire suitable for both voice and violin
Dow himself was a trained calligrapher, his exceptional virtuosity can be admired in the black ink on red lines
Dow Partbooks
- The Dow Partbooks
Short Description
The Dow Partbooks, named after their scribe Robert Dow (1553–1588), originated from Oxford ca. 1580. The five parts of the book come together on 960 impressive pages with a diverse repertoire suitable for both vocals and violin. One finds among them simple Latin motets, English doxologies, and a selection of textless chansons by famous composers like William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Robert White, Robert Parsons, Philip van Wilder, and Alfonso Ferrabosco. Dow himself was a trained calligrapher and his exceptional virtuosity can be admired in the black ink on red lines. For a manuscript from the 16th century, it is unbelievable exact and legible. Numbers 53 and 54 originate from the hand of John Baldwin (pre–1560–1615) and an unknown scribe is responsible for numbers 99 and 100.
Dow Partbooks
The five Dow Partbooks, named after their scribe Robert Dow (1553–88), originated from Oxford ca. 1580. Dow himself was a master calligrapher and his exceptional virtuosity can be admired in the black ink on red lines. For a manuscript from the 16th century, it is unbelievably exact and legible. Numbers 53 and 54 originate from the hand of John Baldwin (pre–1560–1615) and an unknown scribe is responsible for numbers 99 and 100. The manuscript remains in Oxford today, proudly housed in the magnificent collections of the Christ Church Library.
An Important Source of Tudor Music
Not only are the Dow Partbooks some of the most beautiful manuscripts containing music from Tudor England, in many cases they are the only source for the pieces, making it an exceptionally authoritative collection of documents. The five parts of the book come together on 960 impressive pages with a diverse repertoire suitable for both vocals and violin. One finds among them simple Latin motets, English doxologies, and a selection of textless chansons by famous composers like William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Robert White, Robert Parsons, Philip van Wilder, and Alfonso Ferrabosco.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- The Dow Partbooks
- Style
- Genre
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Dow Partbooks“
The Dow Partbooks
- Publisher
- DIAMM – London, 2010
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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