Portuguese composer, born in Fronteira, near Elvas. As a chorister at the cathedral school, studied at Evora, one of Portugal's main musical centres, with Manuel Mendes and possibly Cosme Delgado, and was choirmaster at the cathedral there until 1588. In 1589 he took vows for the priesthood at Lisbon’s Convento do Carmo where as a member of the Carmelites he became their organist and choral conductor. From 1613 he was in the service of the Duke of Barcelos at the Vila Viçosa. A trip to Madrid in 1631 inspired him to compose a tribute to Philip IV in the form of his third book of Masses, all based on a motet by Philip himself. He published three books of Masses, two collections of motets, Magnificats and Holy Week music, all strongly Palestrinian in style, and was highly esteemed by the Portuguese King João IV.