ASMR at the museum | Turning the pages of a medieval choirbook | V&A

// Listen with headphones for best experience //
Join curator Catherine Yvard inside the National Art Library as she introduces us to a medieval choirbook from the 15th century. This particular object is an illuminated manuscript - a handwritten book which has been illustrated in gold, silver and rich colours that make the page shimmer.
Sound designer and performance-maker Julie Rose Bower has documented Catherine's delicate examination process using ambisonic sound, letting us get closer to the object than ever before.
Watch as Catherine examines the book in preparation for a display, and turns the pages. She tells us how the manuscript would have been used, shows us the exquisite illustrations, tells us about the parchment that it is made from, and how notation was scraped away with a knife when the liturgy changed.
Examination steps:
Looking at the illustrations - The Feast of the Assumption: 01:04
Looking at the illustrations - masks: 01:57
How the pages are numbered - foliation: 03:24
Examining burn damage and holes: 04:11
Turning the pages: 06:14
How was parchment made?: 06:17
Looking at the illustrations - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 09:09
Examining lettering: 09:44
Scraping away of notation and changes to the text: 11:33
Ink damage: 14:00
Closing and opening the book: 14:52
See the choirbook in our Fragmented Illuminations: Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Cuttings display, until 8 May 2022: www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/fra...
Find out more about the object in Explore the Collections: collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1...
Find out more about the National Art Library: www.vam.ac.uk/info/national-a...

[@vamuseum]

Just to say - on the gloves question - don't just take our word for it. You may be interested in this link from the British Library: blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2011/08/white-gloves-or-not-white-gloves.html

[@BuriedTeeth]

THANK YOU! Btw this may be your best asmr yet! 💖

[@GrumpyKitten375]

Thank you so very much this has been a great video and I really appreciate the hard work VNA is doing to preserve these precious documents. And unfortunately questions From the curious have been made into accusatory statements by others which is certainly not my intention we truly wanted to know. And you explained and we appreciate the reply thank you

[@Dani_Capozzi]

I was less concerned once I heard the sound of the paper. I knew it was parchment and it made me feel better.

[@rebeccajames7487]

Thank you for this! It’s always great to have these questions answered by the experts!

[@PopeLando]

Brady Haran has been misled....

[@zoecastell8584]

The employee who suggested doing educational ASMR videos in the museum deserves a raise.

[@kelseyswanepoel7056]

A big raise

[@SoundArtMagic]

it was probably an intern who no later longer works there

[@veryberry39]

What I like best is that it's ASMR for those of us who love ASMR, but it's still interesting and not uncomfortable for people who dislike it. At least, it seems that way to me. It's not people deliberately whispering into the mic or doing anything unusual (but don't get me wrong, I love all that too, lol).

[@YvieT81]

@@veryberry39 actually they usually call this ‘unintentional asmr’

[@beth12svist]

@@YvieT81 Except that this is definitely intentional.

[@tradminus]

V&A: I'm so happy you didn't wear gloves! They are never used professionally when handling parchment or old paper and it's a shame that most tv shows fall into the trap of showing gloves only because viewers expect to see them. I am a book historian experienced in taking care of books from the middle ages and early modern period. Old vellum or paper is vulnerable and should be handled with a soft touch. As you have the best grip with bare hands, it is advisable to always have bare, clean hands. Gloves would only damage the books as it is nearly impossible to turn a page with gloved hands, especially if the pages are thin. All archivists, curators and students of book history are therefore taught to handle the books with clean hands, and now you, dear reader, know it too. :)

[@felice9907]

this is not the only medieval book of huge size ... what is the official explanation regarding this phenomenon? and what about "alternative" ideas? is no-one among all the art historians interested in this matter?

[@shariwelch8760]

TV shows usually don't show gloves for parchment, but sometimes for paper, if it's sturdy enough. Each situation is different, sometimes paper is too fragile for gloves. Sometimes it's better to wear them. It's a case by case basis.

[@shariwelch8760]

@@felice9907 LOL yes art historians are interested in this, as well as archivists. I'm an art historian.

[@felice9907]

@@shariwelch8760 ... and, do you have any idea/conclusion/insight regarding antique books of "unnecessary" huge size? my non-academic point is that there were people - until not too long ago - who were much taller than "usual humans" today. this also matches certain ancient building techniques, production of gigantic swords and rifles and many other topics and clues of history. just a little inspiration to think out of the box! have a nice weekend, shari and thank you for answering!

[@gardeniainbloom812]

Thank you.

[@staceyyvonne9854]

For everyone feeling perturbed about her not wearing gloves: “According to the Library of Congress, wearing gloves while handling antiquarian books may do more harm than good. Portland State University Library Special Collections follows their advice to handle most rare and valuable books with clean, dry hands.”

[@jeanneswarin7403]

Thank You I was worried

[@OwlaboveCitylights]

I've got sweaty hands so that wouldn't do for me

[@jimsmiley1030]

Yeah,big misconception

[@kschneider8649]

How would the gloves be harmful?

[@snugglenuts]

@@OwlaboveCitylights Botox injections.

[@susprime7018]

Looks like it was painted yesterday. Colors so vibrant.

[@shariwelch8760]

That's one of the best thing about illuminated manuscripts, they are often in great shape, because they were closed and not exposed to dust and smoke, nor were they varnished. I love medieval art, and manuscripts show such beautiful work and colors, often looking as fresh and new as anyone could hope for.

[@gardeniainbloom812]

@@shariwelch8760 Did they use real gold? What were the pigments used?

[@shariwelch8760]

@@gardeniainbloom812 Yes, they did use real gold - usually gold leaf, but sometimes paint made out of gold. They used real silver too, but it tarnished and looks black now. They used lots of pigments - some of them are lamp black, lead white, raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber, malachite, ultramarine (which was made from lapis lazuli and cost more than gold), red ochre, yellow ochre, verdigris, azurite, vermilion, cinnabar, berries for purple colors, or sometimes they got purple from a shell called murex, but it was very expensive. That's about all I can remember off the top of my head, but there are others. They preferred pigments made of colored stone, because it was brighter than pigments made from plants, but they used what they could afford. They often kept their different color paints in shells as they painted and I always thought that was cool.

[@gardeniainbloom812]

@@shariwelch8760 Thank you. I'm impressed the pigments were so light fast. I'm wondering which ink damaged that hide.

[@shariwelch8760]

@@gardeniainbloom812 The damage in that hide came from before there was ink applied - it probably happened during the tanning process. The colors were fairly light fast, but books like these are closed for centuries, with no light getting to them, so that helped a lot. :)

[@elyonum]

It's just incredible to me that somewhere, someone in the 15th century wrote this book and had a little accident with a candle. Probably continued their day and didn't think much of it besides being somewhat annoyed. And here we are, maybe 600-something years later, looking at this book through an internet video. Chuckling over the burnt edges of that day. 100,000 people have seen this since it was posted in 2021. How unreal and absolutely beautiful!

[@cownamedlary]

This was the crispiest, crunchiest book I have ever heard. Thank you for sharing!

[@AA-oe2ut]

She said it’s made from animal skin so it’s basically chicharrones😂

[@carolinerussell3782]

As a history addict, and a longtime ASMR viewer, these videos are absolute gold for me!

[@jimsmiley1030]

I love Alex makes art! Very few presentations but like this she's not creepy & doesn't try to hard on the asmr side.simply splendid

[@vamuseum]

Stick around - we've got plenty more!

[@crackedstar9992]

@@vamuseum 💞💞💞 ittt Thank you🥰

[@tarottortoise]

@@vamuseum thank you so much!

[@YellowStarLine]

Although I don't research the mediaeval period (I research the more modern periods, mainly the Edwardian Era) I still find these videos very relaxing and get a tiny bit of history knowledge about the mediaeval era

[@kendan06]

This book is so well preserved. Imagine how many hands have touched the pages that she's touching now... the person who made it probably never thought his artwork would live to be admired centuries later by thousands of people.

[@Justin-uc8sc]

More people have touched the cash that’s in your wallet

[@kendan06]

@@Justin-uc8sc probably, but that money isn't as old as this and isn't even such good condition

[@peteroliver3147]

The amount of work that went into these types of things is utterly staggering. I wonder if the creators had the slightest idea that someone would be looking at it in so much detail 530 years later. Just crazy.

[@outoftheblue6587]

This video is the final boss of Asmr Page turning

[@TingTang1234567]

So many people decrying the lack of gloves as if a professional curator doesn't know better than random KZbin ASMR junkies 🤣

[@jayhollows5729]

To be fair curators and people who preserve and restore art have fucked up in the past too. Just like the picture of Jesus that ended up looking like a meme

[@thisistinnytrying]

@@jayhollows5729 that was not an art curator that was a random Spanish woman who thought she was

[@omgnobrain]

@@jayhollows5729 The person that ruined the Jesus fresko wasn't a curator nor professional restorer, she was an old lady visiting the church.

[@saffrons12]

Wow! Never realized how large those books are! Stunning!

[@phillipstroll7385]

Most aren't. Most manuscripts are about 3 x 5. Especially books of hours. That one is massive because it was used at the center of worship. It's a choir book for worship during feasts and saints day. I especially love the changes made. Originally it was Mary whom was venerated, not Jesus. For she was the immaculate conception born of a post menopausal woman. Born without original sin. Originally Christianity was preached by women for women. We know this for certain from letters between Pliny and the emperor. Pliny went to spy on the Christians to see what they believed and whom was part of this belief. He recorded what he saw and heard. The emperor told Pliny to leave them alone. For they were no threat to the empire. Which added to the journal of Perpetua pretty much throws the whole Christians were persecuted nonsense right out the damn window. Yet, people will still to this day perpetuate that lie.

[@shariwelch8760]

Choir books were made for many people to view at once. Medieval manuscripts do come in many sizes, large to small. 😊

[@gardeniainbloom812]

@@phillipstroll7385 This is all very interesting esp "Christianity was preached by women for women". I'm confused now. Sources please. I clearly need to do some research.

[@augustussohn893]

As someone mentioned, they were made for a number of people to see at once, and being that they were produced long before electrical lighting, needed to be able to be seen in a dark church. The smaller manuscripts would have been used for personal use.

[@HoldmeZarya]

The seemingly absent horizontal stroke of the “A” at 1:30 is represented by the invisible barrier between heaven and earth, seen here as the gap between Mary and the apostles below. Genius bit of artistry

[@amyliataylor]

Good eye !

[@shonaangus7876]

These pages are 600 years old?!?!? They look like they were made yesterday! Beautiful work of art ❤

[@kajakalena]

That page flip at 0:44 was magical to my ears

[@francescaan110]

Believe it or not, I’ve often wondered how flipping these pages would have sounded like. I was sure it would be nothing like paper, but of course I never got to touch an ancient manuscript (and probably never will)! So thank you for making this sound accessible to the modern world 😍

[@Memar-X]

This is my favourite video on here. Books, crinkle sounds and a quiet voice. Perfect

[@tarottortoise]

If the V&A keep making ASMR videos they’ll be my go-to channel every night! Amazing learning and relaxing 😌

[@vamuseum]

Make sure you're subscribed for more!

[@ginabattz9716]

Same!!!

[@terrencecoccoli524]

The artisans who created these are unsung heroes. And yes, the audio from turning of pages is very satisfying.

[@mickable8]

Francesco and Girolamo are born, lived and worked in my town: Verona, Italy ❤️

[@gemmasalmon9667]

The noise and echo of the pages turning remind me of an extremely windy night in a forest and the creaking of the trees.

[@asmrbookreadermuchmore5549]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWKQimaEeZp0prM

[@chestersakamoto6843]

I'm a regular ASMR listener as well as a history nerd. The marriage of these two things is just brilliant. I also love language and the only thing that would make this even better is if someone were reading the Latin text within!

[@spongiformencephalitis]

this is possibly the most soothing asmr video i have ever watched- educational asmr is not something i knew i needed so much until now. and catherine's voice is immensely soothing. more old manuscripts with her please!!

[@josiahjwhitfield]

okay nah, whoever came up with this definitely on some next level galaxy brain shit. i hope they got a raise.

[@MusgraveRitual]

Such things of beauty we created when we dedicated them to something higher than our own selves...remarkable work, privilege to see it. Wish we could get a sequel and hear what the pages said.

[@littlelunarisasmr]

It's such amazing shape for a book created centuries ago! The drawings are still so vibrant and the callography so clear and crisp.

[@mltitude]

this is a HUGE book didnt expect that at first

[@yumeriamoegi]

Her voice is so soothing! I could listen to her all day aaaaa. Brilliant choice of representative curator for this!

[@fionatrotter3678]

Was SO happy to be able to visit the V&A last Friday and see this beautiful choirbook in person! I was amazed at how large it was - Dr Yvard does such an amazing job of explaining all the small details, and to see the scale of the work in real life was wonderful. Would love another video with Dr Yvard!

[@WhisperAudiosASMR]

This was amazing!! Thank you for staying true to the core essence of asmr!

[@marge117]

I LOVE that you’re doing this series! Great ASMR and beautiful material. More soft spoken art historians describing images please!

[@whitetasmr2824]

this video is amazing and fascinating! if there are more books like this please do more videos!

[@vamuseum]

We've got more coming up soon. Stick around!

[@just-z1316]

As someone who loves everything about books from the smell to the texture and design… this is amazing.

[@TheTeacher1020]

Ms. Yvard has a lovely lovely voice. I hope she does more of these recorded presentations.

[@jbaby362]

The erasures are incredible, this book has lived so much

[@rprovost344]

I'm going to need Catherine to be in many, many more videos, she is brilliant!

[@cleojones228]

I love everything about this... the glorious choir book, the turning pages, the information about the parchment and illustration, and her beautiful voice. I listen to this every night!

[@pierrefireball2505]

OMG! Imagine the chance and pleasure of looking at these masterpieces of art. I had goosebumps when she was turning the parchemin's pages.

[@mai4319]

What type of paint they used? It amazing that this is such an old book yet the colors are preserved so nicely

[@shariwelch8760]

Some inks, but the colors were made of finely ground pigments (often colored stones, sometimes plant material, or even shells) mixed with egg yolk (sometimes they used the whites instead). It's called egg tempera.

[@lich4109]

As a medieval literature student OH MY GODDD

[@swanvaldez]

This is such a great synthesis of marketing and pop culture- please do more page turning videos. I've been listening to asmr for 12+ years now and this channel ranks among the most interesting and innovative- please, continue!

[@saleanatirado5870]

Making books this way was truly an art. It's beautifully preserved and lovely❤

[@frannielocks]

So interesting and wonderful! MORE ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS PLEASE!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[@vamuseum]

Find out more about illuminated manuscripts here: www.vam.ac.uk/articles/illuminated-manuscripts

[@estellesstories7467]

This is such sumptuous content. Thank you for your openness to multi sensory appreciation of these gorgeous artefacts.

[@CampingforCool41]

The sound of those pages is perfect

[@LockportDan]

I studied medieval notation in graduate school. I must say I didn't enjoy it but I love illuminated manuscripts! Excellent and informative. Thank you.

[@turftracer9522]

Truly, this is sensational content... ASMR Gold...much appreciated ... Thanks...

[@moriahw3947]

I own a page from one of these books. It's one of my most prized possessions! V&A and ASMR? My two favorite things?? This video is amazing.

[@annas.8902]

How did you come across it? Must be quite a story!

[@moriahw3947]

@@annas.8902 not much to it! found it for a great price at an antique store!

[@annettehinestroza]

4:10 What a wonderful sound!😌📖🎶

[@princesslisamarie7860]

So glad that this was longer! I could do a whole hour of these videos!

[@monicacall7532]

As a professional musician I find such joy and satisfaction in looking at the beautiful missals that contained the various chants for each office sung throughout the day at a convent, monastery, abbey or cathedral. They are works of art as well as important records of the religious chants that became the basis for much of Western religious choral and instrumental music beginning in the Renaissance. Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@julietakhughes4442]

The sound of the page turning is my absolut favorite, please make more videos like this!!!

[@areebasbops]

This is beautiful and so informative! I love hearing the explanation of the writing and edits made. The artwork is stunning. Also, she's handling the book perfectly. Curators are not required to use gloves, but rather dry and clean hands.

[@VickyDPi]

The sound of those pages crinkling as they move is sooooo delightful!!

[@LunteBooks]

The level of detail in the "green man" on that first page is incredible! It's hard to tell but it looks like there might even be some letters on the red band around his head. Thank you for the wonderful video!

[@strawberrylemonadelioness]

I love the page flipping sounds, and the art in the books are so beautiful!

[@kensantiago8729]

the sounds from the turning is very nice but then when she talks is even more relaxing. Wonderful ASMR!

[@jonnavdpas]

I could listen to her telling me facts about this book all day. So relaxing.

[@gardeniainbloom812]

A choir reproducing the work would be interesting too.

[@Ariadnethedreamer]

This is absolutely incredible! Thank you to everyone who worked on this content. I think you have a solid test audience for ASMR videos you could play in the museum.

[@MahuWhispersASMR]

This is magical!!!!! Nothing like old objets being carefully handled!!

[@dalhousiekid]

Craftsmanship of this choral book is just beyond the beyond…🌏🌥🪐

[@veryberry39]

My only wish is that these were longer videos! Even from just a learning perspective, it would be neat to see each page!

[@headwound]

I ADORE this youtube channel.

[@rideremii]

Wow what a stunning book! The pictures and colours as so beautiful it’s such good condition too it’s hard to believe it’s so old ❤

[@elizabetefabiano5708]

I can't believe how much I learned in just 15 minutes! What an amazing wealth of knowledge, thanks for sharing and brining these wonders to life - for history buffs and those who didn't even know things like this still existed. :)

[@onyxth3ripper]

Can I just say how absolutely amazing that book looks for being from the medieval era?

[@needforseed1]

Your ASMR videos are by far my favorite thing on KZbin. Thank you for sharing this beautiful book, I love to see these items so close up, and I always learn something new in the midst of the tingles. :)

[@madelaineyassin3117]

Its one of my favorite ASMR Video. So great and a lot of Tingles.... ❤❤❤❤ thx for that experience

[@onoh791]

Please publish more medieval books related ASMR, it’s wonderful to listen to and quite formative 💜

[@amarrelmiche8168]

Aaah, this is good… I feel substantial amount of alpha-waves in my head😇📖 So beautifully illustrated full-coloured-plus-glittery book of sacred music. Breath taking ❤️

[@ASMRBlueKatie]

this is such a egnius idea!! I loved it

[@JinaWallwork]

I love the sound of the pages being turned. It would be fantastic if that sound was turned into a virtual instrument for people to use in their DAW. It would create excellent atmospheric textures while also connecting to the history of the object. Great video. Beautiful object.

[@asmr_sabri]

The horizontal line on the A was definitely the horizon line

[@julierosebower6645]

This is such a good call! I didn’t spot this but see it so well now.

[@Dinalafont]

I love the possibility to feel that amazing book. ¡Muchas Gracias! More of this amazing videos, please! Saludos desde Argentina.

[@henriettahall9731]

I'm ready for the next one please Julie Rose Bower!

[@vamuseum]

Make sure you're subscribed - it's coming very soon...

[@MegaBrownie19]

Everything about this is absolutely amazing!

[@catlinstark6557]

It's 1am and I'm crying over an ASMR video on medieval illuminated manuscripts. 😭💖💖💖

[@lindsayklein7586]

I am obsessed with the V&A ASMR series!! PLEASE more and more!

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

Delightful! I never thought about the sound of the pages!

[@Gaywizardry]

I LOVE this asmr series you're doing. I'm going to be revisiting them so much.

[@AR-qu6nc]

Holy CRAPPPP MY FAVORITE SERIES IS BACK LOL THANK YOU V&A 😍😍

[@musikafossora]

love the little details like the page that had been sewn up

[@Jessdefauwe]

never stop making ASMR videos V&A! so so incredible

[@vamuseum]

More to come!

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

Please do more of these, amazing!!

[@harpodjangorose9696]

Thanks for the tour. This was fun to watch.

[@EuqinimodArt]

The size of this book is insane!!! beautiful art too

[@aimee-hyj]

absolutely incredible for everyone involved! thank you so much for these videos

[@cherylb6755]

Absolutely stunning! I just love your ASMR series. What a crazy treat it would be to also have the videos with ASMR audio but not commentary.... ;) Thank you for sharing the beauty you are blessed to live with every day so we can do the same!

[@CineNOV579]

Beautiful crunchy pages ♥️

[@Mottejotte]

What an amazing idea - love this!

[@pepealexandre]

Very relaxing. Thank you to everyone involved in this project.

[@kerrypond6791]

what a gorgeous book. so excited to see it

[@dinkc64]

That was quite lovely, thank you for taking the time to share this great book with us.

[@jessicasalo3287]

You all need to make more of these please!!! More old crinkly books, more page turning audio.

[@angelnumber2002]

To see such vibrant art from this time is amazing

[@nic0leslaw44]

I loved this!!! So cool to get to see this book! It's beautiful

[@abibowden4682]

My husband found a page of this sheet music framed at a thrift store. He got it for a dollar and took it to a friend who is a professional paper maker to look at it and he said it was real. Its cool to see a whole book of it!

[@Nakaraan]

The illustrations in this book are mindblowing.