Portuguese Polyphony

Paragon Singers

Portuguese Polyphony

Paragon Singers present a concert of music from renaissance Portugal, centred around the requiems of Duarte Lobo and Manuel Cardoso. Known as Portugal's 'Golden Age of Polyphony', these composers were writing music in a Renaissance idiom well into the 17th century while the rest of Europe had moved on to a more antiphonal Baroque style.

Yet the combination of simple polyphony and unique harmonic shifts creates a glorious collison of text and music. Interweaved between Requiem movments we explore little known, beautiful Portuguese motets from late Renaissance composers including Pedro de Escobar, Diogo Dias Melgas and Joao Lourenco Rebelo.

As our first concert with new conductor Sarah Latto, and in the stunning setting of St Swithin's Church this promises to be a very special evening.