Concert Notes

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"Medieval Chivalry: Tales of Knights and Courtly Love

May 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Crestwood Christian Church, 1882 Bellefonte Drive, Lexington KY

Chivalry and music were deeply intertwined in the medieval era. Poet-musicians called trouvères or troubadours wrote songs depicting knights as both warriors and refined courtiers, capable of eloquence and emotional expression as exemplified in the Machaut’s Douce dame jolie and Dame, ne regardes pas.

The notion of “courtly love” reflects an idealized and typically unattainable form of romantic devotion to ladies of high social status who were often married. Rather than focusing on physical fulfillment, the music emphasizes longing and the moral refinement of the lover through devotion. Notably, courtly love often carried strong religious overtones, as the beloved is depicted in terms similar to those used for the Virgin Mary—pure and worthy of reverence.

The Crusades, a series of military campaigns beginning in 1095, helped to shape medieval identity. Knights who took the cross were bound not just by religious duty, but by an emerging code of chivalry (from the Old French term chevalerie “horseman/knight”), which defined their role in society. This code emphasized loyalty, honor, and devotion to both God and feudal lord, ideals that were reinforced and disseminated through music. Songs became vehicles for justifying and glorifying warfare in the Holy Land.

The 15th century melody L’homme armé (“The Armed Man”), reflects the expectations placed upon knights and could be interpreted as a call to arms. This tune was widely used as the cantus firmus, or melodic structural foundation for over 40 known 15th century Mass settings; in today’s program we hear the melody in the tenor line of Busnois’ Kyrie from his Messe L’homme armé. These masses suggested a dual identity: the knight as both literal soldier and metaphorical defender of the faith.

Upon seeing the Holy Land for the first time, Walther von der Vogelweide expressed feelings of humility and joy to his lady in his song Palästinalied, while also asserting the “Christian cause” as the righteous one amidst “all the world... warring here.” Sadly, little has changed in over 600 years. The personal side of chivalry is powerfully captured in Ja nus hons pris by Richard the Lionheart of England. Written during his captivity after the Third Crusade, the song laments betrayal and appeals for loyalty—core tenets of the knightly code.

Centuries later, the Carol of Agincourt - Deo gracias Anglia celebrated Henry V’s unlikely victory during the Hundred Years’ War at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, which reflects the enduring power of chivalric ideals in shaping national identity. Its text and music portray the king and his army as divinely favored and morally righteous, echoing themes found in Crusader-era compositions. By this time, chivalry had become both a political tool and a cultural memory, preserved and amplified through music.