Contrapunctus: Polyphony in Portugal

Oxford’s early-music consort Contrapunctus brings to life masterworks of the rich Portuguese musical tradition of the 16th and 17th centuries. At the heart of the programme is Duarte Lobo’s radiant Missa de beata virgine, a masterpiece from the chapelmaster of Lisbon Cathedral. Alongside it are motets by Manuel Leitão de Aviles—an intriguing figure who worked in Granada—uncovered by the ensemble’s director, Owen Rees.