The splendours of Portugal’s musical golden age, in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, are brought to life in this concert by the Cambridge Taverner Choir, who pioneered the rediscovery of this exquisite repertoire. The greatest Portuguese composers of the age – Manuel Cardoso, Duarte Lobo, and Pedro de Cristo – produced music of intense expression and thrilling sonorities, combining the filigree beauties of Renaissance polyphony with the rich colours and dramatic gestures of the Baroque. Boxgrove Priory, with its frescoed ceiling and glorious acoustic, makes an ideal setting for this special concert.
The Cambridge Taverner Choir has been delighting audiences for over 30 years with performances of sacred works from the early music repertoire acclaimed for their expressive passion and ‘sheer musicianship’ (Gramophone). Among the choir’s discography are recordings of Portuguese Renaissance Music shortlisted for the Gramophone Early Music Award and hailed by Early Music as ‘an absolute revelation’.
