About Paulus de Rhoda (de Roda) (ca.1450 - ca.1514) – his real name was Pauwels van Rode – is like so many Netherlands composers of the 15th century unfortunately little known. He belongs to the third Netherlands generation of composers out of the Low Countries. Nothing is known about is youth. The first time sources met de Rhoda in s’-Hertogenbosch. Paulus de Rhoda worked already from 1471 on behalf of the Illustrious Confraternity of our Lady at ‘s-Hertogenbosch called in Dutch “Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap”. The sources and account-books in ‘s-Hertogenbosch stated Pauwels van Rode recruited musicians (Tenorist) for the Confraternity. Nevertheless Paulus de Rhoda was from 1484 until 1489 choirmaster of the Guild of our Lady at Bergen op Zoom St.Gertrude-church. He was in that position the successor of Jacob Obrecht (1457/58-1505). Obrecht left indeed Bergen op Zoom for the first time in 1484 and was appointed choirmaster in Cambrai the 28th of July 1484. In 1496/1497 the Illustrious Confraternity of our Lady at ‘s-Hertogenbosch paid for copying a Requiem by Paulus de Rhoda – Pauwels van Rode –. It is generally accepted Paulus de Rhode wrote a Requiem which has been lost.
And later is written a statement in the record of 1504 that “Meester Pauwels van Rode” has tested and accepted a singer with consent of the Confraternity. Nicolaes or Claes Craen was at that time “sangmeester” choirmaster of the Illustrious Confraternity from 1502-1507. In the records is written he was appointed the 8th of June 1502 (aegenomen sWoensdachs te weten 8 junij). In 1506 “Meester Pouwels van Rode” got payment trying to find new and good singers and some further “Meester Pouwels” got travelling-money and was send to Amsterdam to get a Tenorist and other good singers. In 1506 “Meester Pouwelsen van Rode” screened and brought two singers from Amsterdam to the Confraternity. And more later the Illustrious Confraternity celebrated in 1514 a requiem for Paulus de Rhoda. It is not clear which function or position meester Paulus de Rhode has had in the Confraternity.
Only some (four) of his works survived and are found or attributed in the Casanatense source (with an incipit in Dutch), the Glogauer Liederbuch and the Apel manuscript.
He wrote an instrumental motet (SAAT) on the theme Der Pfauenschwantz a melody at that time often used and well known in the Low countries and was set by Jacques de Barbireau ( c.1455-1491). That setting by Barbireau was very popular. The above mentioned Jacob Obrecht even wrote a Mass (c.1490) on this Pfauenschwantz theme.