Think Renaissance Spain and images of the Golden Age of Spanish exploration as well as of theatre and music come to mind. If there is a soundtrack for this period, it would certainly include dozens of Romances and Villancicos from the famous Cancionero de Palacio. Composer Juan del Encina, closely associated with the Spanish court but not ever officially a part of it, boasts the authorship of a majority of the pieces in this famous manuscript, which now is housed in the National Library in Madrid. Encina’s polyphony in vocal and instrumental versions will be a part of the tapestry of sound on this Sunday morning’s Vox Nostra.
RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 15th July, 7am-10am