Contextualising a Polyphonic Fragment: The Salve regina by ‘Dom Bento’ in Coimbra MM 12

A four-part polyphonic Salve regina atteributed to ‘Dom Bento. Can. Regul.’ was entered into Coimbra MM 12 (c. 1540-50?) at a later date to the main body of the manuscript, but only the first and last pages of the setteing survive: these include the superius and tenor of the opening polyphonic section, one part of a Duo, and also the altus and bassus of the final two sections; there are also paste overs and revisions. No section is therefore complete. Despite its fragmentary appearance, however, the setteing demonstrates a number of significant features that set it apart from other Salve setteings in the Coimbra holdings from the point of view of (performance) structure and text. In addition, it has an intriguing thematic relationship in places with a funerary motet composed at the monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra in the Phrygian mode, resulting an unusual modal orientation in the setteing. This paper also examines the work in relation with other music preserved in the Santa Cruz manuscripts by a certain ‘Dom Benedictus’, believed to be the same composer.