The school regulation of Bolzano, 1424: Ansingen and recordatum

A source of primary importance for the reconstruction of the Ansingen practice in Tyrol is the Schulordnung (school regulation) of the parish school of Bolzano of 1424.[20] Reputedly the oldest school regulation of the region, it is contained in the Urbar (catalogue of rental income, rights and duties) or liber jurium of the Bolzano parish church (» Fig. Haslers Urbar), compiled in 1453-1460 by the church warden Christoph Hasler jun., which is held at the National and University Library of Strasbourg (» Kap. Das Urbar der Bozner Pfarrkirche).[21] Its contents answered a need to regulate the civil and ecclesiastical life of a mid-size town in rapid development, where the church and the secular authorities fulfilled closely intertwined functions.[22] The school regulation (named Statuten der Schulen on f. 132v, where also the date of 1424 is recorded) is organised in five chapters (f. 128r-136v) which precisely stipulate, among other things, the incomes of the schoolmaster and the Junkmeister. From this we learn that the Junkmeister (succentor) did not receive the same benefices and annual salaries as the schoolmaster, but that part of his livelihood derived directly from the income earned through singing in public (» Kap. Junkmeister, Astanten und das Musikstudium der Knaben). For this reason, too, the regulation devotes much space to the times and manners of Ansingen which in fact represented a primary source of sustenance for the school of Bolzano. Other chapters of the Urbar offer interesting details about the processions in which the schoolboys were singing. There are, for example, chapters (in the manuscript directly preceding the school regulation) which deal with the duties and incomes of the sacristan: these mention among other activities the daily procession after the morning Mass service – which the sacristan had to announce with a particular sound of the bell – and the great procession of Palm Sunday, likewise accompanied by solemn and extended bell-ringing.[23]

As regards Ansingen, the regulation state that according to ancient tradition the choir went out both weekly and annually. The chapter on the income and duties of the Junkmeister (Hye ein vermercht die nüctze vnd välle, die ainem yeden junchkmaister zugehorn, f. 133r), establishes that the Ansingen in the evenings, called “recordatum” or “recordieren”, was to be carried out every week by the poor students of the parish school on Saturday evening, but only for an hour.[24] The term “recordatum” was derived from the noun recordatio – the practice, widespread since the earlier Middle Ages, of welcoming and celebrating citizens or high-ranking personalities with the recitation of poems and song. The collected money went to the Junkmeister, who assigned to the poor students one Fierer for every Kreuzer earned (i.e., 4 pennies of 12, “kreuzer” being treated here as equivalent to “groschen”).

Item so sullend dy arme(n) knab(e)n des abends Recordatu(m) gen dy wochen nur ain stund und nicht mer vnd was sy ersingen, das sol dem Succe(n)tor(i) geuallen, also das der Succe(n)tor von ainem ygleich(e)m kreucz(er) 1 fir(er) den armen knaben davon geb.

In this way, the school regulated and legitimised th­e weekly non-liturgical singing of its poor students who, with the generous and active support of its community, could safeguard with their singing a regular income, which they needed to maintain themselves in their studies. The same activity provided part of his income to the Junkmeister. The regulations also stipulated that the poor schoolboys and the grossen gesellen (adult helpers, Astanten) could go on the Recordatum eight further times during the year. What they collected for their singing on those evenings was to remain entirely for them:

Item auch mugent dy arme(n) knab(e)n vnd and(er) grosze gesel(en) da auff der schule in dem jar zu acht mal gen Recordatu(m) in selbs und was sy dy acht mal ersing(e)n des abents, das sol in allain beleiben.

The regulation also defines the use of the money earned by the sons of the bourgeois citizens in the Ansingen performances of Christmas time (on which, see below). They had to submit 5 £ to the Junkmeister, but could keep the remaining amounts, dividing it equally among themselves:

Item so sol der Jungmaist(er) von dem ansing(en) gelt hab(e)n V libras p(er)n(er), das dy burg(er) knaben zu weinachtt(e)n ersingen und was vberteur ist, das sullen dy knab(e)n vnd(er) in selb(er) geleich tailen.

The schoolmaster had the right to assign to the Junkmeister further amounts from the money earned in the cited activities:

It(e)m zu behaltt(e)n dem Succe(n)tor, ob im der Schulmaist(er) vb(e)r alle egenan(ten) seine zuvälle ain prerogatif tat, das mag jm auch werden.

Finally, it is ruled (f. 134r) that after Sunday Mass the grosse Gesellen (adult helpers) could have dinner with the Junkmeister and to go to sing, outside the parish house, the Marian antiphon Nigra sum sed formosa.[25] For this service the Junkmeisteri received 13 Fierer. Of these, he had to give six to the helpers for wine, but they could all drink it together:

Item so sullend dy gross(e)n gesell(e)n des Suntags zu(m) ambt abentt essen mit de(m) Jungmaister und für den pfarhoff gen sing(e)n dy antiphona Nigra sum s(ed) formosa vnd dauon hatt der Jungmaister xiii fir(er) und sol dauo(n) den gesell(e)n vi fi(rer) geb(e)n vmb wein vnd dy mit in vertringkhen.