Two bookes of ayres. The first contayning divine and morall songs: the second, light conceits of lovers. To be sung to the lute and viols, in two, three, and foure parts: or by one voyce to an instrument.
Scores printed by Thomas Snodham, for Mathew Lownes, and John.
Brown. The volume also contains a short manuscript score: Thomas
Campion’s ‘Author of Light’, for four voices with lute
accompaniment from the Book of Ayres.
Extent: 76 pages. 335 x 222 mm.
Layout: Upright format.
Binding: Early 20th century binding of tooled brown leather over
boards. On the front flyleaf, a note by York Powell, dated 8
February 1900: 'Before this Collection of Campian's Ayres was bound
it was enclosed in a parchment wrapper, being the list of
contributors to the dues of Parish & Clarke for an whole yeare in
the parish of ... / This was removd & cleaned & is now placed in
Wake with other fragments'; this wrapper has not yet been
located.
Additional Information: For a detailed description, please see
www.chch.ox.ac.uk/library-and-archives/digital-library.
Provenance: From the Henry Aldrich (1647-1710) bequest, listed in
Archives 1717, item H27, as 'Book of Songs'.
