The Earliest Known Collection of Benedicamus Domino Chants: Musical and Poetic Additions in Brussels, KBR 9850–52

The earliest known collection of several different melodies for the Benedicamus Domino versicle was copied in the tenth century on a flyleaf in the manuscript Brussels, KBR 9850–52. This article examines the three chants and newly identifies their melodies. Further additions allow us to contextualize the collection, suggesting ways in which the Benedicamus Domino chants may have been deployed on various liturgical occasions, and providing concrete witness to the involvement of children in singing and recording these chants earlier than has previously been shown.