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 |
What is our life
|
|
Gibbons, Orlando
1583–1625
|
5 |
|
What is the cause
|
|
Ferrabosco, Alfonso (i)
1543–1588
|
5 |
|
What makes young folks simple in shew
|
|
Whythorne, Thomas
1528–1596
|
2 |
|
What needeth all this travail - O fools! Can you not see
|
|
Wilbye, John
1574–1638
|
4 |
|
What needeth all this travail - O fools! Can you not see
|
(Alleluia) |
Anon
|
4 |
(US-NYp Drexel 4180-4185)
New York: Merro, John, 1600-1650
(Partbook, MS)
#143
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Second part only |
|
What neede the morning rife
|
|
Peerson, Martin
1571-1573–1651
|
5 |
Private Musicke or the First Booke of... (RISM P1135)
Private Musicke or the First Booke of Ayres and Dialogues: Contayning Songs of 4. 5. and 6. parts, of severall sorts, and being Verse and Chorus, is fit for Voyces and Viols.
London: Snodham, Thomas, 1620
(Tablebook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Martin Peerson |
|
|
What pleasure have great princes
David Fraser (SATBarB)
Alamire & Fretwork
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
Psalmes, Sonets, & songs of sadness a... (RISM B5209)
Psalmes, Sonets, & songs of sadness and pietie, made into Musicke of five parts: whereof, some of them going abroad among divers, in untrue coppies, are heere truely corrected, and th'other being Songs very rare and newly composed, are heere published, for the recreation of all such as delight in Musicke
London: East, Thomas, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: William Byrd |
|
|
What remedy, what remedy
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
What shall I render to the Lord
|
|
Jones, Robert (ii)
fl.1597–1615
|
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
#27
|
|
Attrib: Rob. Iones |
|
|
What time Ulysses
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
When as I glance
|
|
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
#10
|
|
Attrib: Iohn Bennet |
|
|
When as I glance on my lovely sweet
|
|
East, Michael
c.1580–1648
|
4 |
The Fourth Set of Bookes, Wherein are... (RISM E7)
The Fourth Set of Bookes, Wherein are Anthemes for Versus and Chorus, Madrigals, and Songs of other kindes, to 4, 5, and 6 Parts: apt for Viols and Voyces
London: Snodham, Thomas, 1624
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Michaell East |
|
|
When as we sat in Babylon
|
(Verse anthem) |
Farrant, Richard
c.1525–1580
|
4 |
Chirk Castle Partbooks (US-NYp Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk) [1-4])
Wrexham, c.1618-c.1633
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#44
|
|
Attrib: mr Richard Farrant |
4vv |
|
When Cloris heard
|
|
Wilbye, John
1574–1638
|
4 |
|
When Cupid hath compelled me
|
|
Whythorne, Thomas
1528–1596
|
3 |
Songs, for three, fower, and five voy... (RISM W992)
Songs, for three, fower, and five voyces, composed and made by Thomas Whythorne
London, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Whythorne |
|
|
When David heard
|
|
Tomkins, Thomas
1572–1656
|
5 |
(US-NYp Drexel 4180-4185)
New York: Merro, John, 1600-1650
(Partbook, MS)
#187
|
|
Attrib: Mr Tomkins |
|
Songs of 3.4.5. and 6. parts (RISM T949)
London: Snodham, Thomas, 1622
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Tomkins |
|
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
#94
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Tomkins |
2 Samuel 18:33 |
|
When David heard
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(US-NYp Drexel 4180-4185)
New York: Merro, John, 1600-1650
(Partbook, MS)
#153
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
When David heard
|
|
East, Michael
c.1580–1648
|
6 |
The Fourth Set of Bookes, Wherein are... (RISM E7)
The Fourth Set of Bookes, Wherein are Anthemes for Versus and Chorus, Madrigals, and Songs of other kindes, to 4, 5, and 6 Parts: apt for Viols and Voyces
London: Snodham, Thomas, 1624
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Michaell East |
|
|
When David heard - O my son Absolon
|
|
Weelkes, Thomas
1576–1623
|
6 |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#35
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Wilks |
|
(GB-Och 56-60)
Oxford, c.1620
(Partbook, MS)
#59
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Weelkes |
|
|
When David heard - O my son Absolon
|
|
Anon
|
6 |
|
When David heard - O my son Absolon
|
|
Anon
|
6 |
|
When first by force
David Fraser (SATBarB)
B-five & Sunhae Im
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
(GB-Ob Mus.Sch.e.423)
Oxford, c.1575-1586
(Partbook, MS)
#37
|
|
Attrib: Mr Birde |
|
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
#25
|
|
Attrib: VVilliam Byrd |
|
|
When fliering fortune favoureth
|
|
Whythorne, Thomas
1528–1596
|
3 |
Songs, for three, fower, and five voy... (RISM W992)
Songs, for three, fower, and five voyces, composed and made by Thomas Whythorne
London, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Whythorne |
|
|
When Flora faire the pleasant tydings - All Creatures then with summer
|
|
Carlton, Richard
c.1558–c.1638
|
5 |
|
When fortune seemed so much my friend
|
|
Whythorne, Thomas
1528–1596
|
4 |
Songs, for three, fower, and five voy... (RISM W992)
Songs, for three, fower, and five voyces, composed and made by Thomas Whythorne
London, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#34
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Whythorne |
|
|