For scholars and students, Kelly (Harvard U.) collects 16 seminal writings on oral and written transmission in Gregorian chant. The writings first address early types of neumatic writing, the origins of music-writing, and the contemporary performance of chant, and then issues, debates, and theories of oral and written transmission that consider changes in the oral tradition, written notation, variations, the role of oral transmission in the formation of melody, and other matters. Essays were published in journals and books between 1974 and 2004. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)