Taken from the monumental music collection of the same name - compiled by the priest, organist and composer António Martín y Coll between 1706 and 1709 - this program weaves its way through tientos and phantasias of the Iberian school of composers mainly from the 17th century, as well as skipping through dance and variation pieces that highlight the influence of returning South American missionaries on the court music of the time. Dances like the pasacalla, ciaccona, canarios and xacará show styles that would go on to influence art music, flamenco, court dances and peasant tunes for centuries to come.

The Iberian school has been largely ignored by today’s organists, probably owing to their use of organ stops and instrument types particular to Spain and Portugal, but much of the music can easily rival the quality  of contemporary Europeans like Trabaci, Pasquini, Louis Couperin, Tunder and Buxtehude.

The arrangements for viols and harp in this program are all original and developed specifically to highlight this music and add to the repertoire of the viol consort along with the addition of the particular harp played in Spain in the early 17th century.

Most of the pieces are not attributed to any composer, and the collection remains largely unknown to both public and performers, despite the great quality of the works, something that we hope to remedy with this program.