Instruments in the liturgy of the Real Colegio Seminario de Corpus Christi, València, in the 17th century

The Real Colegio Seminario de Corpus Christi in València, founded by Archbishop Juan de Ribera, was (along with the cathedral) the most important centre of musical activity in the city during the 17th century. The Constituciones of the chapel organize the liturgical calendar and its music, in the process stipulating the presence of instrumentalists on certain occasions. Later documents reveal gradual changes that were reflected in this daily practice: on the one hand, wind players were required to play on a growing number of feast-days, and including instruments other than those expected during the first years of the college chapel’s existence, while on the other hand, improvisational vocal practices began to incorporate instrumentalists. Finally, and in consonance with the development of polychoral practices, the usual accompaniment of singing by one or more organs was complemented by use of the harp from the mid 17th century. The present article traces the evolution of instrumental practice as can be appreciated in various documents preserved in the Archives of the Real Colegio.