The York Plays were a series of traveling plays that were performed between the 1300s to the late 1500s in England and ended when the Protestant Reformation finally found its way to England.
There are a couple of Gregorian chants in these plays, one based on the Annunciation and the other, on the Assumption. The source texts also vaguely reference places where the angels sing. However, no music for any of those exists in the original manuscripts that my friend has.
My friend would like to find two Gregorian chants, one based on or associated with the Assumption of Mary and a Magnificat. Does anyone know of anything that would have existed during the historical time period of the York Plays that could be used? He's looking for pieces that are not too difficult to sing as he'll be teaching Latin at the same time he's teaching some trained and untrained college students to sing chant.
My friend will direct a performance of the York Plays at an academic conference, so historical authenticity is important. He needs to ensure that whatever he does is actually drawn from before or during the time period in which the plays were performed.
For example, if the introit for the Mass of the Assumption is of recent composition, due to the dogma having been defined in 1950, that would not be suitable since it would not have existed and been sung in the Medieval period.
Thank you for any expert knowledge and suggestions you have to offer!
I don't know too much - here is a Sarum chant site with references to early 1500s manuscript dates that might be worth looking into. Down the page you can find an Assumption Mass and Office. In the Latin Office you can find a Tota Pulchra Es which looks fairly straightforward.
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