Understanding the Old Hispanic Office
Texts, Melodies, and Devotion in Early Medieval Iberia

An innovative, scholarly introduction to the distinctive and enigmatic Christian liturgy of early medieval Iberia.

Emma Hornby (Author), Kati Ihnat (Author), Rebecca Maloy (Author), Raquel Rojo Carrillo (Author)

9781108845892, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 December 2022

450 pages
25.1 x 17.5 x 2.5 cm, 1.05 kg

Based on highly original archival and palaeographical research, this is the first methodological and factual primer in English on the distinctive liturgical tradition of early medieval Spain. It provides clear and approachable blueprints for future work on the description and analysis (musical, theological and cultural) of this and other liturgies. For non-specialists, the authors introduce the main features of Old Hispanic liturgy, its manuscripts, its services and its liturgical genres. For specialists, they model a variety of ways to work with the Old Hispanic materials in depth, incorporating notational, musical, theological and historical perspectives. For those interested in musical notation, the book lays out a method for working with unpitched neumes, with illustrative results, that will inspire and challenge others working on monophonic chant. For historians and liturgists, the texts and melodies are analysed in combination with the theological context that informed their creation.

1. The Old Hispanic office: evidence and silence Kati Ihnat
2. The liturgical year in the Old Hispanic rite Raquel Rojo Carrillo and Emma Hornby
3. Old Hispanic liturgical manuscripts Emma Hornby and Raquel Rojo Carrillo
4. Old Hispanic genres: chants, prayers and readings Emma Hornby and Raquel Rojo Carrillo
5. The Old Hispanic liturgical day Emma Hornby and Raquel Rojo Carrillo
6. Old Hispanic musical notation: its characteristics and an analytical methodology Emma Hornby, Rebecca Maloy and Raquel Rojo Carrillo
7. Melodic language in Old Hispanic chant: illustrating an analytical methodology Emma Hornby and Rebecca Maloy
8. Text, melody and theology in the Old Hispanic Marian office Kati Ihnat and Rebecca Maloy.

Subject Areas: History of religion [HRAX], Medieval history [HBLC1], Medieval & Renaissance music [c 1000 to c 1600 AVGC2]