Medieval music will mark this Sunday afternoon, September 6, in Terena, in the municipality of Alandroal, with a concert dedicated to the Cantigas de Santa Maria, compositions attributed to Alfonso X of Castile. The show takes place at 6:00 PM at the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova, whose own past is linked to the melodies that will be performed. According to the organizers, the Cantigas de Santa Maria constitute the oldest known historical evidence of the existence of this sanctuary.
The performance is by nine musicians. Irene Brigitte and Nuno Raimundo take the vocals, accompanied by Pedro Sousa Silva, António Godinho, Sofia Pimenta and Teresa Pinto on flutes. The lineup also includes Hugo Sanches on vihuela, Francisca Freire on viola da gamba and Pedro Braga Falcão on viola da braccio.
The presentation in Terena is part of the program of the Cantus Planus Meeting 2026, an international encounter taking place in Évora between September 3 and 7, with the Espírito Santo College of the University of Évora as its main venue. The initiative is promoted by the Early Music Study Group of CESEM — Center for Music Studies, in collaboration with the University of Évora.
Over the five days, the encounter brings together approximately a hundred participants, including researchers and representatives from universities and research centers from different countries. The program focuses on the study and valorization of musical heritage, bridging academic research with moments of presentation and interpretation of historical repertoire. The concert at the sanctuary thus constitutes one of the moments that brings early music outside the academic context, associating musical heritage with the historic space of Terena.
