Missa O crux lignum – Antoine Busnois

Missa O crux lignum (Mass of the Wooden Cross) by Antoine Busnois

The composer Antoine Busnois was born in approximately 1430, in or near the town of Béthune in the north east of France. Based on his surname it is believed that Busnois was related to the Busnes family, with their ancestral home being in the city of Lens (at that time part of the Duchy of Burgundy). The fact that Busnois appeared to have had an early and thorough education in music, as well as records of employment beginning in 1450 at the French Royal Court support the notion that Busnois was from the aristocratic Busnes family.

It is difficult to confirm when Busnois would have composed his mass ‘O Crux Lignum’, however it was likely completed at some point shortly after entering service in the Royal Court.

There are no confirmed paintings or sketches of Busnois. The cover image for this video is the right panel from the ‘Melun Diptych’ by the French painter Jean Fouquet. A Diptych is a hinged wooden panel with a carving, painting or sketch on each of the two panels. The Melun Diptych is named due to the first home for the Diptych which was the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame in the suburb of Melun. The right panel depicts the Virgin and Child surrounded by Angels and was likely painted in 1452.

The image you see during the video is a copy of the manuscript of the Miss O Crux Lignum painted at some point in the mid-15th century.

This Missa O Crux Lignum is comprised of five sections:
I. Kyrie
II. Gloria
III. Credo
IV. Sanctus
V. Benedictus
VI. Agnus Dei