Manuscript music collected by Thomas Gray, ca. 1740

Manuscripts, in Thomas Gray's hand and others', of musical transcriptions in score, primarily selections from operas heard in Italy and London. On the outside of each volume is written the names of the composers whose works it contains. Inside each front cover is an index of the volume's contents, in Gray's hand, including names of characters and performers. Some of the volumes contain music and words also copied in his hand; he also makes annotations throughout the volumes, noting the schools of the composers and the names of the operas and other compositions from which these selections have been made

Vol. 1 contains 25 arias by Johann Adolf Hasse, from the operas Allessandro nell'Indie; La clemenza di Tito; Demetrio; Issipile; Artaserse; and Siroe re di Persia. On the cover is written: "Arie del Sig: r / G: Adolfo Hasse / detto / Il Sasone. / Firenze. / 1740".

Vol. 2 contains 24 pieces for voice and strings by Hasse, including arias, duets, and a trio, excerpted from the operas Catone; Issipile; Siroe; Tito; and Artaserse. Written on spine: Hasse

Vol. 3 contains 35 pieces. These include 28 arias; 1 duet, and 3 minuets from operas by Leonardo Vinci, including Artaserse; Alessandro; Andromaca; Catone; Demofounte; and Semiramide. The volume also contains a Cantata per una voce by Vinci; Cantata per una voce by Giovanni Pergolesi; Toccata per il cembalo, Aria, and Minuet by Hasse; an aria, minuet, and arietta by Gaetano Latilla's Siroe; an aria by Giovanni Giai; a minuet by Giacomelli; and an arietta by David Perez. On the cover is written: "Arie del Sigr / Lionardo Vinci. / Napoletano / Firenze. / 1740." Written on spine: Vinci

Vol. 4 contains 30 pieces comprising Leonardo Vinci's cantata titled La Contessa de numi. Inside the front cover is an index of sinfonias and arias in Gray's hand, and a note, signed by H[enry] E[dward] K[rehbiel], which reads: "this is plainly the cantata "La Contessa de'Numi" / composed by V. 1729 to / words of Metastasio to / celebrate the birth of the dauphin". A further notation in Krehbiel's hand reads: "(autograph of Vincj)". On f.126v is an autograph in pencil: "R Bright August 27.th of the month 1819". Written on spine: Vinci

Vol. 5 contains 18 songs by Leonardo Leo, including motets; arias from the operas Achille; Artaserse; Ciro Riconosciuto; Olimpiade; and 2 duets from Olimpiade. Written on spine: "Leo."

Vol. 6 contains 24 pieces by Michele Fini, including arias and duets from Issipile; Siroe; Didone; Alessandro; Tito Manlio; Rodelinda; Farnace; and Temistocle. At the beginning of the manuscript is a treatise on musical accompaniment titled "Regole per l'accompagnamento" in Gray's hand, which includes musical examples. The collection also includes 8 anonymous keyboard pieces. Written on spine: Fini

Vol. 7 contains 11 vocal pieces. Ten are by Pergolesi, consisting of 5 arias, 3 duets from Catone and Olimpiade; and Stabat Mater. The remaining piece is by Leonardo Vinci. Written on spine: Pergolesi

Vol. 8 contains 25 arias by various composers. These include 3 arias from Giovanni Orlandini's Olimpiade; and a Trio from his Temistocle; 3 arias by Francesco Araia; an aria and duet by Giai; an aria from Domenico Sarro's Achille; 9 arias by Pergolesi; and 4 arias and 2 duets by Hasse. An autograph appears on the verso of front flyleaf: "E Bright May 22.nd / 1819"; another autograph appears inside the back cover, in pencil: "Rev.d John Bright / Grafton / Northamptonshire". Written on spine: "Hasse / Pergolesi / Sarro / Giaii / Orlandini Orlandini". Written on front cover: "Arie di G: pe Orlandini, Fiorentino. / Franco: co Araja. / Dom: Sarri. Napoletani / G: B: Pergolesi. / Ant: Giaii. Turinese. / & / Giov: Ad: fo Hasse, Sa ssone. / Firenze 1740". Written on spine: Hasse. Pergolesi. Sarro. Giaii. Araia. Orlandini

Vol. 9 contains 35 songs by Carlo Arrigoni, Andrea Bernasconi, Riccardo Broschi, Rinaldo di Capua, Michele Fini, Baldassare Galuppi, G. Baptista Lampagnani, Gaetano Latilla, Celestino Ligi, Antonio Mazzoni, Giovanni Orlandini, Gaetano Schiassi, Seletti, and Dionigi Zamperelli. Written on cover: "Arie di / G B: ta Lampognani / Andrea Bernascone / Rinaldo di Capua / Gaetano Latilla Napoletane / Michel Fini / Gaetano Schiassi Bolognese / & altri Autori". Written on spine: Bernasconi. Lampagnani. Fini. Rinaldo di Capua. Latilla. Schiassi

Vol. 10 contains 18 pieces of music by Handel, Pergolesi, Hasse, Giai, Domenico Sarro, Nicola Porpora, and others. These works are preceded by two pages explaining a system of musical notation using Arabic numbers, written in Italian in Gray's hand. The volume contains both Italian and English paper, and many of the works are incomplete. The arias from Ifigenia in Tauri conjectural attribution to composer Domenico Scarlatti

Vol. 11 is a collection of 36 pages of musical scores. They include a liturgical text set to medieval notation, underneath which the music is notated in modern musical notation; and a score taken from the 4-part book of Claude le Jeune, 1641. Accompanying these papers is a note which declares, "These miscellaneous papers are all 19th century."