Some of the earliest written notes in western musical history discovered in Pennsylvania

Ninth-century manuscript for Easter services remained out of sight' for years in hands of private collector

Researchers in Pennsylvania have uncovered what they believe are some of the earliest written notes in western musical history - on a ninth-century manuscript they say remained hidden in plain sight" for years in the hands of a private collector.

The notations - characters and dots similar to shorthand outlines - appear above the word alleluia" on the document, a vellum manuscript leaf from a Latin sacramentary, a Catholic liturgical book used in western Europe during mass from the mid- to late 800s.