Beginning - 11 Oct 2025

Sacred Mediaeval Music from Scotland

Description

Explore the soundworld of sacred music from mediaeval Scotland through three important manuscripts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Participants will learn to interpret and perform pieces from each, offering a unique glimpse into mediaeval Scottish devotional life and musical practices.

‘Nobilis Humilis’ — An Orkney hymn to Saint Magnus
This hauntingly beautiful hymn, preserved in a thirteenth-century manuscript likely originating in the Orkney Islands, pays tribute to the Norse saint and martyr Magnus Erlendsson. In it, we have a beautiful example of a mediaeval gymel, a particularly Scandinavian method of primitive harmony. We will discuss and experiment with Latin pronunciation, discuss, learn and sing this hymn, and explore ways of accompanying our singing, including mediaeval improvisational tools to extend our performance.

The St Andrews Music Book — Polyphony from the ‘Magnus Liber Organi’
In the third and fourth sessions of this course, we will introduce this seminal manuscript containing early polyphony and learn about its context in thirteenth-century music history, covering topics such as the Notre Dame School, its associated musical genres, counterpoint, and modal rhythm. Using the genre of the clausula as an example case, the class will delve into hands-on composition training, and discover what players of early harps can learn from mediaeval vocal polyphony.

‘Salve Splendor’ — Plainchant from the Inchcolm Antiphoner
In the final two sessions of this course, we will learn to read and perform ‘Salve Splendor’ from the Inchcolm Antiphoner, composed in honour of Saint Columba. Likely written at the twelfth-century Augustinian Priory on Inchcolm Island, the music preserved in this fourteenth-century Scottish manuscript is a rare survival of insular plainchant. In these sessions we will learn to sing the Latin text and adapt the music to our harps, using the meaning of the words as a guide to shape phrases and bring grace and musicality to our performance of this piece.

All harps welcome!

Course Duration

6 Sessions

Level

Post-beginner+

Class Time

2:00–3:15 pm (Irish time)

Tutor(s)

Dr Siobhán Armstrong

Carolin Margraf

James Ruff

Price

€99.00

Saturday | 2:00–3:15 pm (Irish time)

11 Oct

Session 1

'Nobilis Humilis': Hymn to Saint Magnus (1 of 2)

Though originally colonized by the Norwegians in the 8th century and long involved with Scotland, the Orkney islands finally came under Scottish rule in 1472. The murder of Magnus Erlendsson by his cousin in 1116 resulted in the building of the beautiful St. Magnus cathedral in Kirkwall. In this lovely hymn to St. Magnus, dated to the thirteenth century but possibly much older, we have a beautiful example of a medieval gymel, a particularly Scandinavian method of primitive harmony. In our sessions, we will discuss and experiment with latin pronunciation, discuss, learn and sing this hymn, learn how the latin prosody can affect our playing on the harp, and explore some ways of accompanying our singing, including medieval improvisational tools to extend our performance. [James Ruff]

25 Oct

Session 2

'Nobilis Humilis': Hymn to Saint Magnus (2 of 2)

[James Ruff]

01 Nov

Session 3

'Psallite domino in cithara': contextualising the harp in thirteenth-century music (1 of 2)

In the third and fourth sessions of this course, we will introduce a seminal manuscript containing early polyphony, 'Magnus Liber Organi' / W1 — also known as the 'St Andrews Music Book', and learn about its context in thirteenth-century music history, covering topics such as the Notre Dame School, its associated musical genres, counterpoint, and modal rhythm. Using the genre of the clausula as an example case, the class will delve into hands-on composition training, and discover what players of early harps can learn from mediaeval vocal polyphony. [Carolin Margraf]

08 Nov

Session 4

'Psallite domino in cithara': contextualising the harp in thirteenth-century music (2 of 2)

[Carolin Margraf]

15 Nov

Session 5

'Salve Splendor': Plainchant from the Inchcolm Antiphoner (1 of 2)

In the final two sessions of this course, participants will learn to read and perform ‘Salve Splendor’ from the Inchcolm Antiphoner, composed in honour of Saint Columba. Likely written at the 12th-century Augustinian Priory on Inchcolm Island, the music preserved in this 14th-century Scottish manuscript is a rare survival of insular plainchant. In these sessions we will learn to sing the Latin text and adapt the music to our harps, using the meaning of the words as a guide to shape phrases and bring grace and musicality to our performance of this beautiful piece. [Dr Siobhán Armstrong]

22 Nov

Session 6

'Salve Splendor': Plainchant from the Inchcolm Antiphoner (2 of 2)

[Dr Siobhán Armstrong]

What to Expect

In this course, students will —

Explore three of the most important manuscripts in mediaeval music history
Learn about the greater context of thirteenth and fourteenth-century music history and theory
Apply knowledge of thirteenth and fourteenth-century music to the harp, and play a piece from each manuscript
Discuss and experiment with Latin pronunciation, and learn how Latin prosody can affect your playing on the harp
Explore ways of accompanying your singing, including medieval improvisational tools to extend your performance.
Take part in a short 'impulse workshop' on how to compose your own clausulae

Technical Requirements

A laptop, desktop or tablet computer; we do not recommend using a phone to participate
Speakers or headphones
Access to a printer for downloadable course materials
Access to the Zoom platform; further information to help you get set up for participating over Zoom will be sent after you have registered

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