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Performing the only known melodies discovered among the cantigas de amor, and moreover attributed to D. Dinis, the Troubadour King, The Wandering Bard brings to life an Iberian medieval treasure: the Pergaminho Sharrer.
The concert draws on historically informed performance techniques and instrumentation inspired by the illuminations of the period and region. Soon to be released as the ensemble’s eighth album, this performance is the result of a rarely undertaken research process.
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A MELODIA DE D. DINIS – THE MELODY OF D. DINIS
The surviving songs of Portugal’s Poet-King, reconstructed from the Sharrer Parchment.
Early music · Heritage
Quartet, (adaptable: 2 to 4 musicians) | 60–75 min
A unique and audacious performance dedicated to the Cantigas de Escárnio e Maldizer, “Da esteyra vermelha cantarey” brings medieval music together with modern Portuguese poetic aesthetics through The Wandering Bard of Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira, joined by a very special guest, poet and writer Fernando Ribeiro, from Moonspell.
Together, the titan of metal and the ensemble of the two medievalists create a satirical and provocative performance, bridging troubadour tradition with the spirit of the 21st century, celebrating freedom of expression.
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DA ESTEYRA VERMELHA CANTAREY – FROM THE RED MAT I SHALL SING
Musical poetry recital where medieval satire and music unites to celebrate freedom of expression.
Featuring Fernando Ribeiro of MOONSPELL | Early music · Literary · Crossover (recommended for +18)
Quartet | 60–75 min
O Livro do Rei presents the intimate odyssey between King Alfonso X, the Wise, and the Cantigas de Santa Maria, his monumental collection of more than 400 songs dedicated to Saint Mary and her miracles.
Using the king’s first-person cantigas as a narrative thread, The Wandering Bard traces an autobiographical journey from the book’s prologue to its final poem, guiding the audience through the course of this majestic work and the king’s reflections on art, faith, legacy, and the grace of a powerful woman. It is a concert that bears witness to the profound bond between the king and the Saint, revealing the faith and love he places in her.
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O LIVRO DO REI – THE BOOK OF THE KING
An autobiographical journey through Alfonso X’s Cantigas de Santa Maria.
Early music · Heritage
Trio, (adaptable: 2 to 4 musicians) | 50–75 min
Cantigas da Convivência is a narrated and semi-staged concert by the ensemble The Wandering Bard, dedicated to the music and poetry of the medieval Iberian Peninsula, with repertoire preserved in historical manuscripts.
Performed through song and declamation in the original medieval languages Galaico-Portuguese and Latin, it is a concert dedicated to the many cultures that lived side-by-side and at times entirely immersed in each other’s cultural richnesses, which are gathered in the term “Convivência“, which meant “Living-togetherness” that reflects on the multi-façaded, multi-cultural atmosphere of the medieval Iberia.
With instruments and performance techniques based on historical musical practices, the concert offers an inviting encounter with works nearly 800 years old.
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CANTIGAS DA CONVIVÊNCIA – SONGS OF LIVING-TOGETHERNESS
Semi-staged concert with commentary, exploring the musical cultures of medieval Iberia.
Early music · Heritage · Multicultural
Sextet (adaptable: 3 to 8 musicians) | 50–75 min
Booking:
Marta Almeida: booking@cordasonora.com
Concert programmes
A unique performance, dedicated to the Cantigas de Escárnio e Maldizer, “Da esteyra vermelha cantarey” – “From the Red Mat I Shall Sing” unites medieval music with modern poetry aesthetics through the work of The Wandering Bard, led by Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira, who welcome as special guest the poet and writer Fernando Ribeiro of MOONSPELL.
In unison, the titan of metal and the ensemble of the two medievalists bring forth a satirical and provocative performance that bridges the troubadour tradition with the spirit of the 21st century, celebrating freedom of expression.
Past Events
The Medieval Music Cycle of Leiria 2025 is a celebration of secular poetry and music from the troubadour tradition of medieval Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. CMML2025 pays tribute to cantigas de amor, cantigas de amigo, and cantigas de escárnio e maldizer, highlighting the poetry of King Dinis, the Troubadour King, alongside troubadours and minstrels of his time, such as Martim Moxa, João Garcia de Guilhade, João Zorro, and Airas Nunes.
Over ten days of concerts and interactive events throughout the year, each poetic style will be presented by guest artists whose voices and instruments are ideally suited to interpreting the nuances of Iberian troubadourism. The performances align with the rigor of historical-musical research and the artistic vision of the hosting ensemble, The Wandering Bard (TWB Ensemble), founded by musicians Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira, who are also the artistic directors of CMML2025.
CMML2025 is promoted by the Municipality of Leiria and Leiria Castle, with production by CordaSonora and Quimeras & Gárgulas – Associação Cultural.
Concert programmes
Pergaminho Sharrer; ReI D. Dinis
The Sharrer Parchment, which contains seven of King Dinis’s songs, will be presented during the concert, based on Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira’s research. It is a rare opportunity to hear the troubadour king’s songs with music preserved in one of the few surviving sources of Iberian secular medieval music.
Past Events
A psaltery is a medieval stringed instrument, typically featuring a flat, rectangular or trapezoidal wooden body with strings stretched across it. It was commonly used across Iberia and Europe. The psaltery played an important role in the cultural convivencia of medieval Iberia, where communities of each people and belief shared and influenced each other’s knowledge and art. It was used in both secular and sacred settings, accompanying vocals or performing in instrumental context in courtly and liturgical contexts. The instrument’s resonant sound made it integral to the rich, diverse musical traditions of medieval Iberia.
The psalteries of the Medieval Luthiery workshop are constructed based on the depictions of the musician angel from the portal of the Batalha Monastery.
The first Medieval Luthiery workshop took place during The Medieval Music Days of Batalha – 2025, hosted by the Batalha Monastery with artistic direction by Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira, and production by CordaSonora, consisting of seven consecutive Saturdays dedicated to medieval music at the Batalha Monastery
Concert programmes
Oud, voice, narration
The Troubadour – Musical Legacy of D. Dinis is a concert series led by medievalist and performer Ricardo Alves Pereira. In these intimate solo events, Ricardo unveils a rarely heard repertoire: the Cantigas de Amor of D. Dinis, offering audiences a unique opportunity to rediscover the music of one of the most fascinating figures of the Iberian Middle Ages.
Taking place in June 2025 across historic and cultural venues in northern and central Portugal, each concert blends performance with storytelling, inviting listeners into the poetic world of medieval courtly love.
Past Events
The Medieval Music Days of Batalha – 2025 consist of seven consecutive Saturdays dedicated to medieval music at the Batalha Monastery, where participants will learn to sing medieval cantigas from the Iberian Peninsula in a choir. DMMB2025 features community rehearsals, concerts, poetry recitals, lectures, workshops, and more. All activities are open to the general public, regardless of age or musical experience.
DMMB2025 is hosted by the Batalha Monastery and presented by the early music group, TWB Ensemble, with artistic direction by Esin Yardimli Alves Pereira and Ricardo Alves Pereira, and production by CordaSonora.
Concert programmes
Cantigas de Santa Maria; Alfonso X, o Sábio
The Wandering Bard brings to the stage a very special repertoire of the Cantigas de Santa Maria, accentuating the connection that King Alfonso X, the Wise had with the songs, the music, the musicians, the saint, and the book of Cantigas de Santa Maria itself.
Past Events
Prepare a visit to Leiria! During CMML, there will be six concerts and workshops led by the TWB Ensemble, together with resident artist Antonio Casal and talented guests including Jorge Luis Castro, Irene Brigitte and Orlando Trindade.
The events will take place at Leiria Castle, organised with the support of the Municipality of Leiria.
Before each concert, there will be a workshop connected to the repertoire the musicians will perform. Shaped around the motto “Learning is Sharing”, these workshops aim to create a stronger connection between the community and the music, sharing with the audience the pleasure we find in these timeless melodies. One of the events will also include an exhibition before the concert, dedicated to musical instruments of the medieval period.
Through these workshops, audiences will discover Alfonso X, the Wise, the Cantigas de Santa Maria, the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, Martin Codax, D. Dinis, the Troubadour King, as well as many other stories, legends and fascinating aspects of medieval music and culture, all connected to music that will be heard during the concerts.
Positioned around significant dates in the pagan, solar and religious calendars, the Ciclo de Música Medieval de Leiria (CMML) will unfold throughout the year, beginning on 6 January, Three Kings’ Day. On this first date, we will take a closer look at the wise king behind the Cantigas de Santa Maria and at Santa Maria herself, portrayed in the cantigas as maiden, mother and crone.
Join us!
Access full playlist by clicking here
The Wandering Bard & Fernando Ribeiro – “Da Esteyra Vermelha Cantarey” – Mosteiro da Batalha, 2026
The Wandering Bard with Eduardo Paniagua — “Que mui gram prazer que eu ey” — Castelo de Leiria, 2025
The Wanderig Bard Quartet — Levantou-se a alva — Castelo de Leiria, 2025
The Wandering Bard Sextet – Música do Rei Trovador – Quinta da Regaleira, Lisbon, 2025
The Wandering Bard Quartet – Música do Rei-Trovador – Mosteiro da Batalha, 2025
CMML2024 Visuals – The Wandering Bard – Con razon e d’averen gran pavor, CSM 144 (Eternally Stone)
The Wandering Bard Trio – O Livro do Rei – Castelo de Leiria, 2026
The Wandering Bard Trio & Coro Comunitário DMMB — Cantando em Comunidade no Mosteiro da Batalha — 2025
The Wandering Bard Duo – Música do Rei Trovador – Museu Nacional Machado de Castro, 2025
The Wandering Bard Quartet – O Livro do Rei – Mosteiro de Alcobaça, 2026
Ricardo Alves Pereira – O Trovador – Legado de D. Dinis – Igreja de São Francisco, Leiria, 2025
The Wandering Bard Quartet – O Livro do Rei – Mosteiro da Batalha, 2024
“UMA VIAGEM INESQUECÍVEL À IBÉRIA MEDIEVAL”
“Seguindo as pegadas de bardos e trovadores.”
“Uma Janela para a Cultura Medieval Ibérica”
