The Leiden choirbooks are six volumes of polyphonic renaissance music of the

Franco-Flemish school The designation Franco-Flemish School, also called Netherlandish School, Burgundian School, Low Countries School, Flemish School, Dutch School, or Northern School, refers, somewhat imprecisely, to the style of polyphonic vocal music composition or ...

copied for the

Pieterskerk, Leiden The Pieterskerk is a late- Gothic Dutch Protestant church in Leiden dedicated to Saint Peter. It is known today as the church of the Pilgrim Fathers, where the pastor John Robinson was buried. It is also the burial place of the scientist Wil ...

and now preserved at the Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken (formerly Gemeentearchief Leiden). The books were compiled for the Pieterskerk's ''Zeven-Getijdencollege'' (College of the Seven Liturgical Hours), a professional choir employed at the Pieterskerk, as at many large Dutch parish churches during the 15th and 16th Centuries, to celebrate the ''officium divinum'' as well as masses for the dead - or rather those of the dead rich enough to have had left bequests and endowments for masses to be sung for them. Leiden was the first city to acquire a professional college for these services, c.1440. Rotterdam, Delft in both churches, Haarlem, Gouda, Alkmaar, and finally Amsterdam (as late as 1468) also set up dedicated "college" choirs. The

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

in major Dutch churches in the 15th Century was as follows: * Matins ** including Lauds (one combined service) * Prime, early morning * Terce, mid-morning * Sext, midday * None, mid-afternoon * Vespers, evening service * Compline, night service Apart from the Leiden choirbooks almost no trace survives of the Seven Liturgical Hours repertoire. The Leiden books themselves survived the

iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...

of 1566 when a mob burst into the Pieterskerk and ransacked it. Apparently, they were securely locked away and survived. Apart from works by renowned masters such as

Clemens non Papa Jacobus Clemens non Papa (also Jacques Clément or Jacob Clemens non Papa) ( – 1555 or 1556) was a Netherlandish composer of the Renaissance based for most of his life in Flanders. He was a prolific composer in many of the current styles, and ...

Crecquillon Thomas Crecquillon or Créquillon ( – probably early 1557) was a Franco-Flemish school composer of the Renaissance. While his place of birth is unknown, it was probably within the region loosely known at the time as the Low Countries, and he pr ...

Josquin des Prez Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...

Johannes Lupi Jean Leleu, most commonly known by the latinized version of his name, Johannes Lupi (c. 1506 – December 20, 1539), was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. A representative of the generation after Josquin, he was a minor but skilled ...

, and

Jean Richafort Jean Richafort ( – ) was a Netherlandish composer of the Renaissance, a member of the third generation of the Franco-Flemish School. He was probably born in Hainaut, and his native language appears to have been French. According to the poet Ro ...

, the books also include anonyma and compositions by less well-known Flemish and local composers, such as Claudin Patoulet, Joachimus de Monte, and Johannes Flamingus. A complete catalogue of the manuscripts and a detailed description of their history was published in 2018. The

Egidius Kwartet The Egidius Kwartet is a Dutch vocal ensemble specialising in the music of the Franco-Flemish school, in particular of the Habsburgs, Margaret of Austria, governor of the Netherlands and her court at Mechelen. The ensemble was formed by four membe ...

recorded major pieces from the 6 choirbooks in 6 annual 2CD releases from 2010-2015. A short Documentary about the Leiden Choirbooks project (Dutch with English subtitles)
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References

{{reflist Culture in Leiden Medieval music manuscript sources