Liturgy, plainchant and music at the Paris Sainte-Chapelle: Questions on the identity of a royal institution

International audienceStudying liturgy, musical repertories and performance practice at the Paris Sainte-Chapelle, from 13th till 18th century, brings to light some questions. Probably they are not quite new and were met by other scholars, but these questions acquire a new relief because of long period covered by the research.In the front row appears the status of liturgical books and their relations with the concrete practices of a community : descriptive, prescriptive, exemplary nature ? In second place, improvement of musical notation does not go hand in hand with obsolescence of oral practices and unwritten traditions ; a large part of musical practices remains difficult to encircle exactly