The manuscript is a small volume made up of two originally independent manuscripts datable respectively to c.1615 and c.1575, which were bound together sometime in the seventeenth century. Ms A, with 40 folios, occupies the current ff. 1-38 (the last two folios, which were presumably blank, were cut off); ms B, with 51 folios, occupies the current ff. 39-89.

Ms A is dominated by the works of Manuel Mendes, and of his presumed pupils Duarte Lobo, Simão dos Anjos de Gouveia, and António de Oliveira. Ms B contains what is possibly the oldest, most persistent and widely-circulated of Holy Week series of responsories in extant late-sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Portuguese sources of polyphony. For concordances in Coimbra MM 25 (which has the same contents as ms B) & 47 (incomplete set), Lisbon 'Livro de Óbidos' (IPSPO 1/H-2 - incomplete set) and Oporto MM 40 (one responsory only, due to missing folios), see Alvarenga2011.

Ms A was copied in Évora, and written by a single scribe; ms B was also written by a single scribe, with additions. The manuscript is probably from the Collegiate Church of Santo Antão, associated with Manoel Mendes between 1575 and 1584 (Alvarenga2011); it became part of the collection of Évora Public Library perhaps before the middle of the nineteenth century.

Ms B heavily damaged by use; ms A less used but affected more markedly by ferrous ink oxidation with extensive damage of text; all folios trimmed on top.

Original seventeenth-century binding, from the time when the two manuscripts were joined together, complete in parchment with no boards (270 × 212 mm), with vestiges of straps and of a front flyleaf. Inscribed on the front cover, in ink, but subsequently erased: ‘Masso 4º Nº 5’; in another, more recent hand: ‘Cod CLI/ 1-3 // ’.

Ms A trefoil/ellipse (≈ MELO no. 120, Lisbon, 1616 ≈ GRAVELL SPH.007.1, 1622; ms B star/circle (= REES MM 3 paper 2, and MM 31 paper 1 ≈ BRIQUET no. 1131, Florence, 1529).

Ms A 5+5 staves per page, staff height = 13 mm; ms B 4+4 staves per page, staff height = 15 mm.

Modern foliation on the top of recto faces, in pencil, 1-89. Vestiges of original foliation, both manuscripts beginning with number ‘1’.

Ms A plain red initials on ff. 30v-33r; ms B plain initials and inscriptions in red, and poorly executed calligraphic initials, some with monochrome figures or in black and red.