The palace of the Braganza family, heirs to the Portuguese throne, is situated in Vila Viçosa near to the Spanish border and, in the sixteenth century, boasted a musical tradition second to none, having more musicians in its employ than any of Portugal's many cathedrals.

This recording is a celebration of the vast outpouring of masterpieces which survived the destruction by earthquake of the Lisbon libraries solely due to the dedication of the Vila Viçosa copyists. The particular items here represented come from Holy Week, and fully live up to what we might expect from this most impressive and elaborate of ceremonies in the liturgical year.