Antiphonal

This beautiful illuminated antiphonal was a jubilee gift to Father Leo Linse, the first Abbot of Fort Augustus Abbey. The manuscript was drawn, illuminated and gilded by the Benedictine Sisters of the Order of St. Scholastica who resided in the Old Convent at the Abbey.

An antiphonal is a liturgical choir book containing the musical notation of the sung portions of prayer performed during major Feast Days of the liturgical year.  This example is modeled on medieval illuminations and includes decorated initials and depicts a number of saints. The music is written on a four line scale which can be moved up or down to suit the key required.  The hand painted manuscript is protected and bound by a richly tooled, gilt leather cover with an ivory inlay on the front depicting the Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist.

This Antiphonal was used at Fort Augustus Abbey on Easter Sunday’s up until the late 1980’s and was gifted to Blairs Museum by Dom Francis Davidson after the Abbey closed in 1998.