The North French Kyrie Chant

The Kyrie chant is an important type of medieval
ecclesiastical song distinct from and also somewhat
younger than, the songs in the Gregorian repertory.
Kyrie melodies are first notated in manuscripts from
the tenth century. This book aims to expand
and differentiate our view on melodic and formal
particulars for the Kyrie chant. In the first part,
the early Kyries in north French manuscripts are
examined. Then the north French repertory is
compared to corresponding repertories from other
geographical areas. By comparing the north French
Kyrie repertory to the Aquitanian Kyrie repertory,
the author succeeds in giving an overview of the
Kyrie chants in the west Frankish area. Also, the
concluding discussions on a small group of Kyrie
chants found in early west Frankish and east Frankish
manuscripts, result in findings that further
substantiate a new perspective on the Kyrie chant.
The book incorporates a detailed musical study,
studies of chant transmission and a transcription of
each melody in the north French repertory and will
be of interest to scholars of medieval musicology as
well as chant scholars and readers who wish to
appreciate, or perform, the Kyrie chants.