The Sword and the Lily presents music which explores the images in and around an exceptionally beautiful work of art from the fifteenth century. Rogier van der Weyden's Beaune Altarpiece (c. 1445) furnished the altar in the chapel of the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune. Founded in 1443, this hospital for the sick and dying was created by Nicholas Rolin, Chancellor of the powerful Duchy of Burgundy, after a period of devastating plague and famine in the area. The painting, commissioned by Rolin, depicts the last judgement at the end of time, which must have been an incredibly powerful image for those within the hospital.

Our programme includes Franco-Flemish polyphony and chant from the fifteenth century, and paints a musical story from Christ's descent and the dreadful blasts of the angelic trumpets, through the fiery pits of hell, and finally tracing the ascent to the pearly gates of the celestial palace. The focal point of the concert is the glorious Missa Dum sacrum mysterium/L’homme armé by Johannes Regis (c. 1425 – c. 1496). This Mass sets texts and music from the liturgy of St Michael, who appears centrally in the Beaune Altarpiece weighing up the souls of the dead. The piece also uses the famous L’homme armé tune, which resonates strongly with the image of Christ as ‘the armed man’ in Van der Weyden’s painting.