Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday, 12 June 2014

Parisian Sequences for Pentecost


The New Liturgical Movement has an interesting post about the series of Sequences the Use of Paris had for the Octave of Pentecost - one for each day as opposed to the Roman Use, which employs Veni, Sancte Spiritus every day. I understand Sarum had different Sequences for just the Thursday and Saturday of the Octave.

The texts are a fine selection of medieval hymnography, and written over a period of over three centuries. Three of them, for mid-week are by Adam of St Victor. That twelfth century Victorine tradition was, of course, centred on the abbey in the southern part of the medieval city. Also present is Stephen Langton's Veni, Sancte Spiritus , and he, of course, had been a Master at Paris before his elevation to Canterbury. The post can be read at An Old Parisian Sequence for Thursday in the Octave of Pentecost.

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