The Polyphony Database
polyphonydatabase@gmail.com
About the database❯
PolyphonyDatabase.com is a detailed catalogue of early music sources designed to help musicians perform, academics study, and enthusiasts explore a vast and glorious repertoire quickly and easily. It aims to combine the practicality of CPDL with the academic rigour and ambition of the RISM census, to make use of similar projects where possible, and to directly combat the frustrations performing musicians have with all existing resources.
Its three main goals are:
- To assist performers, directors, and editors by cataloguing the contents of primary sources, source concordances, and basic information about how each piece of music can be performed.
- To provide a reliable starting point for academic research by linking to library catalogues, other existing databases, and facsimile images of early music manuscripts and prints.
- To provide a repository for properly sourced critical editions, performing scores, and recordings of as much of this music as possible, each carefully vetted for typesetting quality and accuracy, and made available for free download, so that this music might be discovered and appreciated by a wider audience.
The database was founded by Francis Bevan in 2014 as an outlet for his editing hobby and is regularly updated by him and a small team of enthusiasts. If you would like to contribute some cataloguing time, recordings or editions, submit corrections, commission an edition or just donate some cash, please get in touch with Francis via email: polyphonydatabase@gmail.com. Read more about the project's history at the 2018 Crowdfunder page.
The best way to help fund the project is to commission performing editions. New editions can be made quickly for as little as £10.
Understanding the clef images
A red clef means the voice is missing from this source. Where there are no concordances to fill in the gaps, this means the piece will require reconstruction.
A green clef means the voice is incomplete in this source. This might denote a fragment of a larger work, or a e.g. canonic voice that isn't written out in full.
A faded clef means much of the piece can be performed without this voice. For example, an extra 6th voice in the Agnus Dei of an otherwise 5vv Mass setting, or a short gimel in a big votive antiphon. Filtering by number of voices will exclude these clefs, while filtering by a specific voice combination will include them.
A blue clef denotes a voice that uses more than one clef in this source - this is particularly prevalent in earlier printed sources. We've estimated the larger clef on the left to be the most used to give an idea of voice distribution at a glance.
An X clef is used as a placeholder for voices we know are necessary, but haven't yet worked out which! This can be because there are no extant sources for a missing voice and no reconstruction has yet been attempted (it will normally become obvious which voice is missing once editing starts), or because we have catalogued a source from an incomplete facsimile that we know to be complete elsewhere.
Title |
Function(s) |
Composer |
# |
Sources |
Wohl dem der ein tugendsam Weib hat - In tugendsam Weib ist
|
|
Dressler, Gallus
1533–1580-1589
|
4 |
|
Wohl dem der Gott - Siehe also wird gesegnet
|
|
Elsbeth, Thomas
d. after 1624
|
6 |
Selectissimae et novae cantiones sacr... (RISM E656)
Selectissimae et novae cantiones sacrae vulgo motecta appellatae, nec umquam antehac in lucem emissae sex vocum tum ad vivam, tum ad omnis generis
Frankfurt: Hartmann, Friedrich, 1600
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Thomam Elsbethum |
|
|
Wolauf mein kron, der tugent schon
|
|
Brätel, Ulrich
c.1495–1544/1545
|
4 |
|
Wol dem der in Gottes forcht
|
|
Daser, Ludwig
c.1526–1589
|
5 |
(D-Sl 15)
Stuttgart, 1578
(Choirbook, MS)
#2
|
|
Attrib: Lud Daser |
|
|
Wol dem der in Gottes forcht
|
|
Forster, Georg
c.1510–1568
|
3 |
|
Wol dem der nicht wandelt
|
|
Meiland, Jacob
1542–1577
|
5 |
Sacrae aliquot cantiones Latinae et G... (RISM M2179)
Sacrae aliquot cantiones Latinae et Germanicae, quinque et quatuor vocum, summa diligentia compositae, correctae, et iam primum in lucem editae
Frankfurt: Corvinus, Georg and Feyerabend, Sigmund, 1575
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Iacobo Meilando Germano |
|
|
Wol dem des hulffe der Gott Jacob ist
|
|
Meiland, Jacob
1542–1577
|
5 |
|
Wolfius insignem forma
|
|
Nucius, Johannes
c.1556–1620
|
5 |
|
Wolt got das ich zu dienen mich
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Woods, rocks and mountains
|
|
Cranford, Willliam
fl.c.1612–1645
|
6 |
(GB-Och 56-60)
Oxford, c.1620
(Partbook, MS)
#53
|
|
Attrib: William Cranforth |
|
|
Wounded I am - Yet of us twain
David Fraser (SATBar)
English Ayres
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
4 |
Songs of sundrie natures, some of gra... (RISM B5212)
Songs of sundrie natures, some of gravitie, and others of myrth, fit for all companies and voyces. Lately made and composed into Musicke of 3.4.5. and 6. parts: and published for the delight of all such as take pleasure in the exercise of that art
London: East, Thomas, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: VVilliam Byrd |
|
|
Wounded with sin extremely
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Y decid serranicas he
|
|
Anon
|
2 |
|
Ye children which do serve the Lord
|
|
Tomkins, Thomas
1572–1656
|
4 |
Musica Deo Sacra & Ecclesiae Anglican... (RISM T950)
Musica Deo Sacra & Ecclesiae Anglicanae: or, Musick dedicated to the honor and service of God, and to the use of Cathedral and other Churches of England, especially of the Chappel-Royal of King Charles the First.
London: Godbid, William, 1668
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#97
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Tomkins |
Psalm 113 [in metre]. Organ book only |
|
Ye gentle ladies
|
|
Carlton, Richard
c.1558–c.1638
|
5 |
|
Ye le lerray puis qu il me bat
|
|
Anon
|
2 |
|
Ye nations of the earth
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
Chirk Castle Partbooks (US-NYp Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk) [1-4])
Wrexham, c.1618-c.1633
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#73
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Yéndome y viniendo
|
|
Anon
|
2 |
|
Ye people all in one accord
|
|
Mundy, John
c.1555–1630
|
3 |
|
Ye restless thoughts
|
|
Wilbye, John
1574–1638
|
3 |
|
Ye restless thoughts
|
|
Bennet, John
fl.1599–1614
|
4 |
Madrigalls to foure voyces newly publ... (RISM B1952)
Madrigalls to foure voyces newly published by Iohn Bennet his first works
[London]: Barley, William, 1599
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Iohn Bennet |
|
|
Ye that do live in pleasures
|
|
Wilbye, John
1574–1638
|
5 |
|
Ye that fear the Lord
|
|
Hutchinson, Richard
1590–1646
|
6 |
(GB-DRc C1)
Durham, c.1660
(Partbook, MS)
#121
|
|
Attrib: Mr Hutchinson |
|
|
Yield unto God
|
|
Caustun, Thomas
c.1520-1525–1569
|
4 |
Chirk Castle Partbooks (US-NYp Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk) [1-4])
Wrexham, c.1618-c.1633
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#32
|
|
Attrib: mr Thomas Causons |
|
|
Yield unto God the Lord on high
|
|
Johnson, Robert (ii)
c.1583–1633
|
4 |
The tears or lamentacions of a sorrow... (RISM 1614/7)
The tears or lamentacions of a sorrowfull soul: composed with musicall ayres and songs, both for voyces and divers instruments
London: Stansby, William, 1614
(Tablebook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Rob. Johnson |
|
|