Towards the Soundscape of a Developing Azorean Port-Town in the Late Sixteenth Century: Angra (Terceira Island) in the 1590s

Abstract

In 1534 Angra (Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal) was elevated to city and seat of the diocese created for the nine Azorean islands. By that time Angra was already an important port in the Portuguese commercial routes to Africa, Brazil, and the Indies as a point for gathering of the so-called Carreira da Índia last journey leg to Lisbon. Sources about music practice in Angra in the 1590s are scarce with general descriptions of musical activities within the major institutions, such as the Cathedral, which in most cases is not suffice for a wider picture of the city’s music life, only providing glimpses to a particular group of musicians, institutions, or a particular event. This chapter focuses on the sounds of daily life in Angra in the 1590s, from bell ringing to the naval construction yards, workshops, and the construction projects of the Cathedral, the São Filipe fortress and other religious buildings. The parochial archives also constitute important references (mostly the books of deceases) to trace the individuals active in the soundscape of the city, from the Cathedral bell-ringer to the naval carpenter and the clergymen who were in charge of the music.