From 2008 to 2011, the British Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded a project at the University of Edinburgh that culminated in exhibition at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival. For the very first time it brought together the eight surviving Part-books that comprise the Wode Psalter from Washington, Dublin, London and Edinburgh.
What is the Wode Psalter?
The Wode [pronounced 'Wood'] or St Andrews Psalter comprises an important manuscript musical settings from the Book of Psalms. Thomas Wode, who was a monk previous to the Reformation in Scotland, collected harmonisations of the 105 metrical psalms from the 1564 Scottish Psalm Book into these partbooks along with other songs, creating the 'gold standard' for post-Reformation devotion and worship in Scotland. Although it is perhaps the most important collection of early modern Scottish music, its many illustrations and illuminating marginalia provide valuable insights into Post-Reformation Scottish history and culture.