Early in 1870, a codex containing early Spanish vocal music had been discovered in the library of the Palacio Real in Madrid The pieces which had been copied into the manuscript entirely unknown up to that point included compositions from the celebrated Juan del Encina and from many other, little-known, contemporaries of his.

The first modern edition of the suitably entitled Cancionero de Palacio was published in 1890, immediately becoming a cornerstone of Spanish historical musicology. Later editions and studies consolidated the status of the Cancionero as a landmark in Iberian music.

The present recording contrasts music from this cancionero with that found in other codices containing similar or related repertory, whether it be Iberian in origin or from elsewhere in Europe. It offers a broader vision not only of the Cancionero de Palacio but also of the musical atmosphere of the time and of the songbook repertory as a whole.