The same year that Dufay arrived at the court of Savoy in Chambéry, 1433, Louis, who replaced his father Amadeus VIII as Duke when the latter retired, married the sister of the King of Cyprus. The marriage was in fact the reason for Dufay's employment there. Savoy was a highly disorganized court, often ruled by eccentrics and incompetents, but, to their credit, it was an extremely vigorous center for musical activity and patronage.

Dufay was only the greatest of many fine musicians who were to benefit from the Dukes' generosities. His purpose there, as the leading musician of his day, was likely to ensure that, with all the illustrious invitees to the wedding, including a 200-strong retinue from the court of Burgundy, none would be able to upstage the Savoyians in the matter of music, which was one of their particular points of pride.

Dufay, in fact, produced a very large quantity of music in Savoy. Exactly what he must've composed for the wedding is unknown, but the fragmentary text of J'ay mis mon cuer is a lover's vow of fidelity, and its form, the ballade, was mostly reserved for ceremonial occasions. It is certainly elegant enough, recalling in its delicate harmonizations and graceful reserve the sweet music of Gilles Binchois who was present at the four-day wedding as a member of the Burgundian court choir.

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