Capela Real

Dom Duarte (1391–1438), as Edward, King of Portugal, elaborated a Regimen (Ordenaçam) of the Chapel, which indicates that the standard practice was three-voice singing. His son, Afonso V (1432–1481), sent the mestre de capela Álvaro Afonso, to the court of Henry VI of England (1421–1471) in order to get a copy of the statutes, regimen and liturgy practiced in the English Chapel Royal. The detailed description written by William Say is kept at Évora.

Later composers serving the capela included Domenico Scarlatti who from 1719 until his death served as mestre de capela where his responsibilities included teaching the Infanta Maria Barbara and the king's younger brother, Don Antonio.^[2]