historical

Earliest Known Piece of Polyphonic Music Discovered

What is believed to be the earliest known practical example of polyphonic music –a piece of choral music written for more than one part – has been found in London in a British Library manuscript. The inscription is believed to date back to the start of the 10th century. It is written using an early form of notation that predates the invention of the stave. It was inked into a space at the end of a manuscript of the Life of Bishop Maternianus of Reims.