Book of Songs: MS 380

Titles

Book of Songs

Maker(s)

Scribe: Braganza, John

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript (music)

Description

Bound collection of 77 pieces for keyboard in standard European notation, fols. 1-100, with 39 illuminated folios (MS 380.1-.39). Commissioned by Sophia Plowden, Lucknow, c.1787-88.

Physical description:
i flyleaf of silver flecked paper + 100 fols. of gold or silver-flecked paper + i flyleaf of silver flecked paper; folios numbered 1-100 in pencil in the top right corner. Fols. 1-79 contain pieces interspersed with blank pages, fols. 80-100 are blank. All folios have a drawn-in frame of thin red, gold, black, green and blue lines surrounding 10 5-line stave lines (10 mm high) on verso and recto.
All folios have at least one pin hole at bottom right corner, presumably related to the drawing of the frame lines. Double pin holes noted at top and bottom left corners of 39 folios, with metal pins still in place at either top or bottom corner of 11 folios (fols. 2, 9, 13, 15, 33, 37, 57, 61, 73, 80, 81). Distribution of these pins and double pin holes suggests that the illuminated folios were pinned between two blank pages (note that when the object was accessioned in 1942, the illuminated folios were described as ‘bound in’ but examination by conservators suggest this should not be interpreted literally as bound into the spine, but simply as attached within the volume).

Binding:
Alum tawed (reversed?) skin binding with tabbed spine ends. Both boards are decorated with large rectangular block-stamped panels and decorative borders around the panels. The large panels and borders’ elements are executed from onlays of gold paper which would have been first pasted onto the cover then stamped directly on the binding with decorative blocks. Small flowers (resembling quatrefoil) within the border are stamped directly onto the leather then painted with red pigment. Green silk doublures with a stub pasted over the free endleaf (silver sprinkled burnished paper – part of the bookblock). The doublures are decorated with onlays of gold paper block-stamped with decorative blocks. The doublers were pasted over the turn-ins of the covering material. Stabbed sewing, five stations. Western endbands with front bead executed with red and silver (?) threads.

Contents:
77 pieces of keyboard music, each given a time and key signature, of which 9 pieces contain headings in ?Persian, 17 pieces have tempo markings at top left corner or otherwise, and 18 pieces can be matched with the illuminated folios (see Schofield 2023: 86). Subsequent adaptations in Bird 1789 and Crotch 1807; see also Cook 2007.

Foliation:
Front cover
i flyleaf of silver-flecked paper
Fol. 1r - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 17 bars. Dynamics marks: 'for[te]' bar 1 and 9; 'pia[no]' bar 6 and bar 13
Fols. 1v-2r blank staves
Fol. 2v - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 22 bars. Two sections. See Farrell 1999:38
Fol. 3r - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 20 bars. Dynamics marks: 'for[te]' bar 1 and bar 10; 'pia[no]' between bars 5 and 6 and at bar 14
Fols. 3v-4r blank staves
Fol. 4v - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with no key signature, 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 22 bars. Two sections
Fol. 5r - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 17 bars. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 5v-6r blank staves
Fol. 6v - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/2 time signature. One pair of staves, 7 bars
Fol. 7r - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 18 bars. Two sections. See Bird 1798, no. 6; Crotch 1807, no.336; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86; Cook 2007:19-23
Fols. 7v-8r blank staves
Fol. 8v - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/2 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 39 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'andante' in the top left corner. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 9r - [heading TBC] Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Tempo marking 'Moderato' in the top left corner. See Crotch 1807, no. 336; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 9v-10r blank staves
Fol. 10v – No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/2 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 14 bars. Tempo marking ‘Andante’ in the top left corner. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 11r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, key signature marked at D minor with F neutral, 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'Moderato' in the top left corner. See Bird 1798, no.4; Schofield 2018:183-186 and 2023:86; Farrell 1999:39-41
Fol. 11v – No heading. No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 12 bars. Tempo marking 'Allegro' in the top left corner
Fol. 12r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Two sections
Fols. 12v-13r blank staves
Fol. 13v - No heading. D Major key signature and 3/4 time signature. Six pairs of staves, 36 bars. Ending on f14r. Three sections. Performance marks: 'Fine' bass line bar 12; 'D[a].C[apo]' end of section 2. See Bird 1789, no.2; Schofield 2023:92-97; Woodfield 1994b
Fol. 14r - end of piece on 13 verso, one bar on each stave. Marked 'Da Capo' at the end
Fols. 14v-15r blank staves
Fol. 15v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 26 bars. Two sections. Pace marking 'Allegro' in the top left corner. See Bird 1789, no. 5; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 16r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with no key signature, 3/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 17 bars. Four sections. Piece marked 'andante' in the top left corner. Performance marks: 'fine', end of section 1; 'd[a].c[apo].', end of section 2, end of section 3, end of piece. See Bird 1789, no.7, Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 16v-17r blank staves
Fol. 17v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 27 bars. Four sections. Tempo marking 'affettuoso' in the top left corner. Performance marks: 'fine' end of section 2; 'da capo' end of the piece
Fol. 18r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 17 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'allegro' in the top left corner. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 18v-19r blank staves
Fol. 19v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 16 bars. See Bird 1789, no.30; Crotch 1807, no.331; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 20r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 3/6 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 14 bars. Two sections. Performance marks: 'Da Capo' at the end
Fols. 20v-21r blank staves
Fol. 21v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature (except for G minor on line 3) and 2/2 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 26 bars. Performance marks: 'bis' above bar 21 extending to bar 22. See Bird 1789, no.3; Crotch 1807, no.332; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 22r-23r blank staves
Fol. 23v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/2 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 15 bars. Piece concludes with a 4-dot bar line
Fol. 24r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 22 bars. Three sections. Performance marks: 'fine' at the end of the first section; 'da c[apo]' at the end of the first section; 'd[a].c[apo].' at the end of the piece. See Woodfield 1994a and 2000:168
Fols. 24v-25r blank staves
Fol. 25v - No heading. Contains 2 pieces: (i) Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 3/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 10 bars. Two sections. Performance marks: 'fine' at the end of the first section; 'd[a].c[apo].' at the end of the piece. Tempo marking 'Andante' in the top left corner. (ii) Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 3/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 12 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'Poco Andante' on the left
Fol. 26r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 15 bars
Fols. 26v-27r blank staves
Fol. 27v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 16 bars. Performance marks: 'bis' bar 6. Tempo marking 'Andante' at top left corner
Fol. 28r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Three sections. Marked 'd[a].c[apo].' at the end of the piece
Fols. 28v-29r blank staves
Fol. 29v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Three sections. Tempo marking 'Andante' at top left corner
Fol. 30r - No heading. Contains two pieces: (i) Piece for keyboard, with G minor key signature and 3/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 13 bars. (ii) Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 15 bars. Two sections
Fols. 30v-31r blank staves
Fol. 31v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/2 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 12 bars. Two sections
Fol. 32r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves,16 bars. Four sections
Fols. 32v-33r blank staves
Fol. 33v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 30 bars. Two sections
Fol. 34r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 18 bars. Two sections
Fols. 34v-35r blank staves
Fol. 35v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 28 bars. Three sections
Fol. 36r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/3 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 21 bars. Two sections
Fols. 36v-37r blank staves
Fol. 37v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Minor key signature and 2/2 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 30 bars. Two sections. End of piece marked with triple bar line. Tempo marking 'Andante' in the top left corner. Performance marks: 'fine' at the end of section 1 under bass line
Fols. 38r-39r blank staves
Fol. 39v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/2 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 15 bars. One section. Tempo marking 'andante' top left corner. Performance marks: 'ad. lib[itum]' above bars 11 and 12. See Cook 2007
Fols. 40r-41r blank staves
Fol. 41v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 8 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'Allegro' in top left corner. See Woodfield 1994a and 2000:168
Fol. 42r - No heading, Piece for keyboard. G Major key signature for first stave pair, unclear key marking for second. With 6/8 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 15 bars. Tempo marking 'Andante' in the top left corner
Fols. 42v-43r blank staves
Fol. 43v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 17 bars. Two sections. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 44r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with key signature D Major and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 21 bars. See Crotch 1807, no.337; Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fols. 44v-45r blank staves
Fol. 45v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 9 bars. Two sections. Tempo marking 'Andante' in the top left corner
Fol. 46r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 8 bars
Fols. 46v-47r blank staves
Fol. 47v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/2 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 10 bars
Fol. 48r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 29 bars. Tempo marking 'Moderato' in the top left corner
Fols. 48v-49r blank staves
Fol. 49v - No heading. Page contains two pieces: (i) Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 15 bars. Two sections. Performance marks: 'f[orte]?' on the final bar of the first section. Second piece begins on the same pair of staves as first ends. (ii) Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature given. Three pairs of staves, 11 bars. Two sections
Fol. 50r – No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 40 bars. Two sections
Fols. 50v-51r blank staves
Fol. 51v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 33 bars. Three sections. Bass line of stave pair 3 - treble clef on bar 6. Performance marks: 'D[a].C[apo]' at the end of the piece
Fol. 52r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature, no time signature. Four pairs of staves, 24 bars. Two sections. Performance marks: 'D[a].C[apo]' at the end of the piece
Fols. 52v-53r blank staves
Fol. 53v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 17 bars. Three sections
Fol. 54r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature given. Three pairs of staves, 18 bars. Two sections
Fols. 54v-55r blank staves
Fol. 55v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 21 bars. Two sections
Fol. 56r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 14 bars. Two sections
Fols. 56v-57r blank staves
Fol. 57v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with no key signature, 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 27 bars. Three sections
Fol. 58r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 14 bars
Fols. 58v-59r blank staves
Fol. 59v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with key signature marked at F sharp and B flat and a 6/8 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 23 bars. Two sections. See Woodfield 1994a and 2000:168
Fol. 60r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D minor key signature and 6/8 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 31 bars. Three sections. Piece continues on verso
Fol. 60v - Continued from verso. One pair of staves, 3 bars
Fol. 61r blank staves
Fol. 61v - No heading. Page contains two pieces for keyboard: (i) with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 11 bars. Two sections. (ii) with D minor key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 16 bars. Two sections
Fols. 62r-63r blank staves
Fol. 63v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature Three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Two sections
Fol. 64r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 18 bars
Fols. 64v-65r blank staves
Fol. 65v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 30 bars
Fol. 66r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 24 bars. Two sections
Fols. 66v-67r blank staves
Fol. 67v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 25 bars
Fol. 68r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with G Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 16 bars
Fols. 68v-69r blank staves
Fol. 69v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 6/8 time signature. Two pairs of staves, 14 bars. Two sections. See Schofield 2018:183 and 2023:86
Fol. 70r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 23 bars. Four sections (section 2 one bar long). Performance marks: repetition above final bar of section 1 and section 2; 'bis' above opening bar of section 3; dotted line bar 18; 'D[a].C[apo]' at the end of the piece
Fols. 70v-71r blank staves
Fol. 71v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 27 bars. Two sections. A pair of semiquavers much smaller than the rest of notation on final bar. See Woodfield 1994a and 2000:168
Fol.72r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 14 bars
Fols. 72v-73r blank staves
Fol. 73v - No heading. First pair of staves: first four bars with D Major key signature and 3/4 time signature. Tempo marking 'Adagio' on top left. New section from bar 4 with a 2/4 time signature, tempo marked 'andante'. Remainder of the piece with D Major key signature, no time signature specified. In total, three pairs of staves, 16 bars. Line 3 - four semiquavers much smaller than the rest of notation
Fols. 74r-76r blank staves
Fol. 76v - No heading. Page contains two pieces for keyboard: (i) with D Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Four pairs of staves, 22 bars. Two sections. (ii) with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. One pair of staves, 10 bars. Two sections
Fol. 77r - No heading. Page contains two pieces for keyboard: (i) with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Three pairs of staves, 22 bars. Five sections. Markings: 'dal segno' at the start of the piece, end of section 3, end of piece; 'bis' above section 4; 'D[a] C[apo]' at the end of the piece (ii) with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. One pair of staves, 8 bars. Two sections
Fols. 77v-78r blank staves
Fol. 78v - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. Five pairs of staves, 27 bars. Two sections
Fol. 79r - No heading. Piece for keyboard, with A Major key signature and 2/4 time signature. One pair of staves, 10 bars. Two sections
Fols.79v -100v blank staves
i flyleaf of silver-flecked paper
Back cover

(catalogue description compiled by Adrianna Chmielewska, March 2026)

Notes

History note: Commissioned by Sophia Plowden; thence by descent, probably to Plowden’s son Trevor Chicheley Plowden (1784-1836); his daughter, Henrietta Isabella Chicheley Plowden (1817-1896); her daughter, Elinor, Lady Colville (1838-1919); bequeathed to her sister, Jane Maria Strachey (1840-1928) (née Grant) (according to typescript note); to her daughters, Joan Pernel and Philippa Strachey, by whom given to the Museum.

Legal notes

Given by Joan Pernel Strachey and Philippa Strachey, 1942