Abstract
The late medieval carol is an important indigenous musical form that is abundant in a number of sources from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth century both with and without extant musical notation. Often thought of as a song that only addresses Christmas themes, medieval carols, in fact, cover a variety of subject matter: love, humour, moralistic tales, the veneration of saints, and politics, to name but a few. This short study seeks to discuss the political carols; addressing their position in manuscripts of the time, examining the clues they might give to the establishments they were performed in, and exploring their representation of English political identity during this turbulent period of history.
Highlights
The late medieval carol is an important musical form, identified by its repetitive verse/burden structure, which is unique to England in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries
Found with and without musical notation ranging from small pocket notebooks to large illuminated manuscripts, the carol was a popular musical form in the late Middle Ages
This study will examine how the political carols may contribute to our understanding of its origins, in turn contributing to wider knowledge of the contexts in which such carols were used
Summary
The largest extant gathering of political carols in any one manuscript of the fifteenth century is found within the substantial and impressive GB-Lbl Egerton 3307 (Egerton). Dating from c.1450, this manuscript contains two very distinct sections; the first comprising processional music for use in Holy Week, and the second containing thirty-one carols plus three other songs with secular texts. Dating from c.1450, this manuscript contains two very distinct sections; the first comprising processional music for use in Holy Week, and the second containing thirty-one carols plus three other songs with secular texts. The carols within this manuscript are all extant with musical notation, and are notated for two or three voices with either a single or double burden; typical of carol style at this time. The political carols of Egerton, and of other musically notated manuscripts of this period, follow this same formula. In a manuscript as well executed and organised as Egerton it is easy to argue that this distinctive grouping was no accident; as carols are often found scattered in seemingly random positions in other manuscripts
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