ABSTRACT
The most contoured of melodies in the Christian liturgy are found in the celebration of the Mass. While liturgical offices dominate books of hours, a Mass for the Virgin Mary will appear sporadically as an accessory section. This Mass usually consists of texts for Mass Proper chants and lections, beginning with the Introit Salve sancta parens. The chapter describes the melodies that correspond to the texts encountered in the votive Mass for the Virgin. It further demonstrates how the Mass texts could be presented as scripts for envoicing. The Mass was an uncommon inclusion in fifteenth-century books of hours; nevertheless, the chapter concludes with examination of select manuscripts that unveil a series of Masses beyond the one for the Virgin Mary.
