‘The Road to Toledo’ is a musical journey across medieval Europe. It follows in the footsteps of Archduke Philip the Fair of Burgundy, who in November 1501 set off from Brussels on a journey to Spain, that was to keep him away from home for over two years. His intention was to guarantee his claim to the Spanish succession through his marriage to Juana, second daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and confirm himself as heir to the thrones of Aragon and Castile. This was no petty territorial intrigue; Philip and Juana’s son was to become the Emperor Charles V, ruler over a newly united Spain, the Low Countries, the Habsburg heartlands and much of South America.

Philip’s entourage included his entire chapel choir and many other musicians, including the famous composers Alexander Agricola and Pierre de la Rue. Much of the music for our concert survives in the Segovia codex, a manuscript that was probably copied in Spain during the Burgundian sojourn there, which contains a unique combination of Burgundian and Spanish music. This juxtaposition not only symbolises the marriage of Philip and Juana but is a focus for the interaction of two very different cultures.