Portuguese music enjoyed its most spectacular flowering in the early seventeenth century. Many of the greatest composers were gathered in the capital Lisbon, and this was a period when many Portuguese musicians also made their careers in Spain, which was then linked to Portugal politically. This recording presents masterpieces of Portuguese polyphony from Lisbon and Granada brought to light by the choir’s director, Owen Rees, who is at the forefront of research and performance of Iberian polyphony. This disc forms a companion to Paradisi portas: Music from 17th-century Portugal.

Track list

01. Non est inventus (Manuel Leitao de Aviles)
02. Dixit Dominus (Pedro de Cristo)
03. Meio Registo de 2º Tom Accidental (Diego da Conceicao)
04. In jejunio et fletu (Manuel Leitao de Aviles)
05. Lamentations (Manuel Leitao de Aviles)
06. Primeiro Kyrio do Primeiro – Tom por C Sol Fa Ut (Manuel Rodrigues Coelho)
07. Circumdederunt me (Joan de Avila)
08. Laudate pueri (Pedro de Cristo)
09. Missa de beata virgine Maria : Kyrie / Gloria / Credo (Duarte Lobo)
10. Verso do 6º tom (Manuel Rodrigues Coelho)
11. Missa de beata virgine Maria : Sanctus / Benedictus / Agnus Dei (Duarte Lobo)
12. Magnificat: Versos do Quarto Tom – organ with chant & fabordao (Manuel Rodrigues Coelho)
13. Nunc dimittis : Verso do Setimo Tom para se cantar ao orgao (Manuel Rodrigues Coelho)
14. Versicle & response: Dominus vobiscum / Et cum spiritu tuo (Pedro de Cristo)
15. Benedicamus Domino (Aires Fernandez)
16. Alma redemptoris mater (Duarte Lobo)