Manuel Cardoso (1566 – 1650) was a Portuguese composer and organist who represented the “golden age” of Portuguese polyphony. Conductor Luís Toscano and the vocal ensemble Cupertinos present a selection of the composer’s finest. Cardoso was praised throughout his lifetime for his devoutness and musical ability, integrating old and new elements to create a highly individual and expressive style. This is most apparent in his devotional music, which sets some of the most dramatic texts within the liturgy. His surviving work consists of five volumes of unaccompanied sacred choral music which were published in Lisbon between 1613 and 1648.