BASÍLICA DOS CONGREGADOS · BRAGA
Music at the Congregados
From sung prayer to concerts: a heritage that continues to be heard.
Explore the musical inventory ↓ · Music of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows →
A history of faith and listening
Music is part of the identity of the Congregados. Its role in the liturgy, devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows and the heritage of the Brotherhood spans different periods and forms of expression.
Exploring this history helps us understand how music has accompanied the prayer and life of the community, and recognise the value of the collection that has come down to us.
Splendour and dignity
In 2022, Elisa Lessa and Diogo Alte da Veiga published “A música na Irmandade de Nossa Senhora das Dores e Santa Ana dos Congregados. Séculos XVIII a XX. Esplendor e dignidade”.
The study introduces the history and musical heritage of the Brotherhood, contributing to its research, wider appreciation and preservation. For information about the publication, contact the Basilica office.
MUSICAL ARCHIVE · MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTED SOURCES
A guide to the musical inventory
Inventory and descriptive entries: Diogo Alte da Veiga.
In the second part of Esplendor e Dignidade, the researcher presents the inventory of liturgical-musical manuscripts and printed sources held in the Brotherhood’s archive. Each entry identifies the document, its origin and date, musical notation, liturgical use, contents and physical characteristics.
Choir books, missals and loose leaves preserve evidence of sung prayer at the Congregados: from Christmas and Holy Week to services for the dead and devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows, Saint Philip Neri and Saint Anne.
Authorship stated on p. 149; descriptive entries on pp. 151–174 of the 2022 edition.
23 entries
Documents identified by the shelfmarks MILM 1 to 23, including bound volumes and loose leaves.
18th–20th centuries
Manuscripts and printed sources from different periods, with additions and traces of use.
P-BRac
The archive’s siglum in the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales (RISM).
What does the collection contain?
The overview selects key contents from each group while retaining the inventory’s shelfmarks and dating. It does not replace the full entries or count individual compositions: a single volume may contain many pieces.
| Shelfmark | Document and date | Key contents |
|---|---|---|
| MILM 1 | Temporal Antiphonary-Gradual Braga, 1792 | Christmas Matins, Holy Week and Easter Masses. Includes two-voice verses for the Christmas responsories. |
| MILM 2 | Antiphonary-Gradual, Tonary and Kyriale Braga, 1779 | Chant throughout the liturgical year, including Vespers and Masses for Our Lady of Sorrows, Saint Philip Neri and Saint Anne; 298 folios. |
| MILM 3 | Antiphonary-Gradual and Kyriale 18th/19th centuries (first half) | Office and Mass for the Dead, polyphonic Salve Regina and Mass Ordinary, among other pieces. |
| MILM 4–5 | Printed Gradual/Kyriale and Antiphonary Venice, 1754 and 1748 respectively | Roman-tradition repertoire for Mass and the Divine Office in the temporal and sanctoral cycles. |
| MILM 6 | Manuscript Kyriale and Antiphonary Braga, first half of the 19th century | Hymns to Saint Philip Neri and Saint Anne; invitatory, litany, hymn and antiphon to Our Lady of Sorrows. |
| MILM 7–12 | Missals for services for the dead 18th century; 1903 and 1925 | Printed sources from Lisbon, Mechelen and Rome, documenting Oratorian, Roman and Braga liturgical uses. |
| MILM 13–14 | Roman missals with additions 1745/1766; 1904/1907 and 1895 | Temporal and sanctoral cycles, with added gatherings; MILM 14 includes celebrations according to Braga use. |
| MILM 15–18 | Four copies of the Missale bracarense Rome, 1924 | Sources for Braga liturgical use, with musical notation in formulas, prayers and responsories. |
| MILM 19–23 | Loose manuscript leaves Braga, 20th century | Two sources of Stabat Mater dolorosa and three of the responsory Passio Domini, preserved between the folios of MILM 2. |
How should these terms and entries be read?
Antiphonary: collects chants for the Divine Office. Gradual: collects the proper chants of the Mass. Kyriale: contains chants of the Ordinary, such as Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. MILM stands for Manuscritos e Impressos Litúrgico-Musicais — liturgical-musical manuscripts and printed sources.
The entries also record bindings, dimensions, foliation, decoration, condition, interventions and different scribal hands. Shelfmarks were created for the inventory because some documents had not previously been assigned archival references. The condition reports reflect the study published in 2022, not an updated assessment.
Sources: collection overview, p. 77; methodological note, p. 149; entries, pp. 151–174.
An archive to study and hear
The descriptions are accompanied in the book by interpretative transcriptions of selected pieces. These include Christmas responsories and music for feasts in the sanctoral cycle. The accompanying CD, Cantate Domino, brings part of this repertoire to life in sound.
Source and authorship: Diogo Alte da Veiga, “O Arquivo Musical da Irmandade de Nossa Senhora das Dores e Santa Ana dos Congregados — Inventário dos Manuscritos e Impressos Litúrgico-Musicais”, in Elisa Lessa and Diogo Alte da Veiga, A Música na Irmandade de Nossa Senhora das Dores e Santa Ana dos Congregados (séculos XVIII a XX) — Esplendor e Dignidade, published by the Brotherhood, 2022, pp. 147–174; transcriptions from p. 175. ISBN 978-989-53908-0-9.
For information about the book or requests to consult the collection, please contact the Basilica office. Access arrangements must be confirmed beforehand.
A living heritage
The historic organ and the Basilica’s participation in the “Órgãos a Norte” cultural route bear witness to this heritage. Its cultural programme also includes chamber music, polyphony and other artistic events.
Studying, preserving and listening are complementary ways of caring for this heritage. See the events page and newsletter for forthcoming concerts and admission details.
