Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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474 SISTINE CHOIR SISTINE CHOIR
These early Scholae Cantorum— sometimes
called Orphanotropia, in allusion to the number
of fatherless children which theysheltered^were
governed by an ecclesiastic, of high rank, called
the Primioerius, who, assisted by a Secundicerius
destined afterwards to succeed him in
his office, exercised absolute control over the
youths and children committed to his care.
Boys were admitted into the preparatory school
{Parvisiwm) at a very early age ; and, if of
gentle birth, became, at the same time, members
of the papal household, holding » status Uke
that of the pages at a secular court. After
passing through the necessary preparation, the
choristers were permitted to take part in the
most solemn services of the Church : and when
their voices changed, were either prepared for
the priesthood or provided for as Cubicularii.
The older members of the Scholae were called
Subdeacons ; but the title was only an honorary
one. By their help Rome was so liberally
supplied with singers that, on more than one
occasion, the Pope was able to send out skilled
instructors for the purpose of encouraging the
purest style of ecclesiastical singing in other
countries ; ' and, as we hear of no important
modification of the system before the beginning
of the 14th century, we are justified in believing
that it fulfilled its purpose perfectly.
A great change, however, took place during
the Pontificate of Clement V. (1305-14),
who in the year 1305 transferred the Chair of
S. Peter to Avignon, leaving his Primicerius
and Schola Cantorum behind him in Rome.
Too much oppressed by political and ecclesiastical
troubles to devote his time to the
regulation of details. Pope Clement naturally
left the management of his chapel to underlings,
who suffered the music to degenerate to a very
unsatisfactory level. His successor, John XXII.
(1316-34), issued in 1323 the weU-known
Bull, Docta sanctorum, ' ' for the purpose of
restraining his singers from corrupting the
simplicity of plain-song, either by subjecting
it to the laws of measured music, or by overloading
it with ornamentation. It is doubtful
whether the provisions of this Bull were fully
carried out after tie decease of its author, whose
immediate successor, Benedict XII. (1334-42),
was too fond of splendid ceremonial to raise
any strong objection to the music sung by the
twelve Choral Chaplains who officiated in his
private chapel, on the score of its elaborateness.
Indeed, the management of the choir employed
by Benedict and his successors at Avignon
differed altogether from that of the Roman
Schola, which was still carried on under the
Primicerius. In Rome, the choristers were
1 For this parpoee, John the Freecentor waa sent to Eofrland,
during the Primacy of Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury (669-
690). At the request of King Pepin (750-768). Simeon, the Secundicerlus
of the Boman Bchoia. was sent, in like manner, to France,
but recalled by Pope Paul I. In 763, that he might succeed to the
office of the then lately deceaaed Primicerius, Georgius ; whUe towards
the close of the same century, two celebrated singers, Theodorua
and Benedictue, were sent by Hadrian 1. (772-7!)5) to Charlemagne
taught on the old traditional system, almost
from their infancy. At Avignon, the most
welcome recruits were French and Flemish
singers, who had already earned a brilliant
reputation. Now, in those days the best singers
were, for the most part, the best composers
also ; and in the Low Countries the art of
composition was rapidly advancing towards a
state of perfection elsewhere unknown. It followed,
therefore, that the choir at Avignon contained
some of the greatest musicians in Europe,
and was indebted to them for Faux- Bourdons
and other polyphonic music, scarcely ever heard
at that period except in the Netherlands.
In 1377 Pope Gregory XI. (1370-78) returned
to Rome, and carried his choir with
him. The contrast between the rival schools
now became more apparent than ever ;
yet by
some means they amalgamated completely.
The probability is that Gregory himself united
them, forming the two choirs into one body,
which was no longer called the Schola Cantorum,
nor governed by a Primicerius, but was henceforth
known as the Collegio dei Cappellani
Cantori, and placed under the command of an
ecclesiastic who held the appointment for life,
and bore the title of Maestro della Cappella
Pontifioia. The precise year In which this
change took place cannot be ascertained ; though
it is certain that the new title was borne by
Angelo, Abbot of S. Maria de Rivaldis, in
1397—twenty years after the return fi-om Avignon.
After this, we hear of no other Maestro
till 1464, when the appointment was conferred
upon Niccola Fabri, Governor of Rome, who
held it for two years. From 1469 onwards the
list includes the names of fourteen ecclesiastics,
of whom all, except the last, were Bishops.
The most celebrated of them was Elziario
Gbnbt; of Carpentras, Vescovo ' in partibus
(1515-26 ?), and the last of the series was
Monsignor Antonio Boceapadnle (1574-86),
whose relations with the reigning Pope, Sixtus
V. (1585-90), were disturbed by a misunderstanding,
particulars of which wiU be found in
vol. iii. p. 605. That the Pope was highly
incensed at the spirit of insubordination shown
by his Cantori Cappellani on this occasion is
well knovm ; and it was probably on this
account that, instead of appointing a successor
to Monsignore Boceapadnle, whom he somewhat
unceremoniously deposed, he issued, Sept. 1,
1586, a Bull (' In suprema '), by virtue of which
he conferred upon the college the right of electing,
from among their own body, an officer, to
whom was committed the duty of governing
the choir, for three, six, or twelve months, or
in perpetuity, according to the pleasure of the
Electors. 2 It was clear that the Maestri so
elected must necessarily be deprived of many
of the privileges enjoyed by the ecclesiastical
dignitaries who had preceded them ; but, by
2 Baini, i. p. 272, Note 375.