Folger Consort Presents Courtly Love Songs from 15th-Century France for Valentine’s Day Weekend

Folger Consort invites audiences to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend with Love Songs of the 15th Century, a romantic concert series presented February 13–15, 2026, in the Elizabethan-style theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library. The program transports listeners to the courts of 15th-century France and Burgundy, where ideals of chivalry and romance flourished in poetry, art, and music, featuring beloved chansons by composers such as Guillaume Du Fay, Gilles Binchois, Johannes Ockeghem, and Antoine Busnoys. Many selections are drawn from the famed Chansonnier Cordiforme, a heart-shaped manuscript of love songs, alongside rare works including a poignant ballad by Christine de Pisan—the only surviving example of her poetry set to music. Performed by an acclaimed lineup of vocalists and instrumentalists, the concert blends lush Renaissance sonorities with colorful period instrumentation, offering a passionate and immersive musical portrait of courtly love, enhanced by pre-concert conversations and a special virtual seminar leading up to the performances. Grab your tickets HERE.