Gilet Velut and the Codex Turin J.II.9

ABSTRACT Evidence is presented that directly links the composer Gilet Velut, via his ballade Jusqu’au jour d’uy, to the Cypriot-French codex Turin J.II.9 (TuB). It is shown that the musical characteristics that Jusqu’au jour d’uy shares with the TuB songs, and the oft-remarked-on stylistic homogeneity of the latter, are the result of specific musical features being extracted from it to form the basis of a compositional template that would enable a large number of songs to be written more quickly and efficiently in a short space of time. Furthermore, Velut almost certainly composed some of the TuB repertory, as the considerable number of common characteristics it shares with the TuB ballade Sage, discret indicates that this song, at least, is his handiwork. Finally, the findings suggest that Velut was either the director or one of the directors of a collective of musicians and poets at the Cypriot court that created the repertory.