Mission Music Collection, 1629-1975

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Summary

Title:
Mission Music Collection
Dates:
1629-1975
Creators:
Franciscans.
Abstract:
The Mission Music Collection contains works relating to the music of the Alta California missions, including works used in religious services, works composed by Franciscan friars, and popular works about particular missions. The collection is divided into two series to represent the Mission Era (prior to 1850) and the Post-Mission Era (1850 and later). Other collections at SBMAL contain musical works; the items in this collection are distinguished by their connection to the mission system.
Extent:
Series I: 22 Folders containing individual and multiple sheets and full bound books, 4 large antiphonaries, 2 loose large antiphonary pages; Series II: 32 folders
Language:
Preferred citation:

Mission Music Collection. Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library

Background

Scope and content:

Series I: This series includes loose sheet music, chant books, choir books, and more written by various authors related to the Fransican Friars. Much of this collection is not attributed to any particular scribe and cannot be accurately dated, and many copies are found of the same material in different hands. Series II: This series includes undated sheet music that was not included in Series I based on its more modern appearance. It also includes many scrap sheets of lyrics without musical notation written by friars in the 20th century, and other music with ties to Mission history.

Processing information:

Finding aid prepared by Cynthia Anderson and edited by Laura Bang, April 2024. (Series I information is largely based on information from Appendix A of Craig H. Russell’s 2009 book From Serra to Sancho: Music and Pageantry in the California Missions. A copy is available for viewing in the Archive-Library for researchers interested in Russell’s more descriptive notes.)

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid created by Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library staff.
Date Prepared:
1629-1975
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:55 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research by appointment. Some items are restricted due to their condition.

Terms of access:

It is the researcher’s responsibility to determine requirements of domestic copyright laws and international treaties and conventions.

Preferred citation:

Mission Music Collection. Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library

Location of this collection:
2201 Laguna Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105, US
Contact:
(805) 682-4713, ext. 131
research@sbmal.org
Website