This programme presents texts and music connected to Easter, the highest feast within the liturgical year. It opens with accompanied rondellus Breves dies hominis, followed by Maundy Thursday conductus Quis tibi Christe meritas anticipating the events of the Crucifixion. The beautiful conductus O labilis sortis deals with medieval Christian meditations on the meaning of mortal life and expresses in a most poignant and lucid manner how the passage of time and approach of death ultimately bring an end to earthly desire. The central theme of the programme is the martyrdom of the Savior. Medieval poets interpret the bitter death of Christ nailed to the cross as the greatest of all sacrifices for humankind (Clavus pungens). We witness His suffering through the eyes of His mother Mary standing below the cross in the beautiful planctus Stabat iuxta from the manuscript Las Huelgas and in one of the most famous pieces of that time, Plantuc ante nescia by Godefroy de St. Victor. We also hear Christ’s own laments in Vinaem meam plantavi and the gorgeous Homo vide quo per te patior. In the third part we can also experience sadness and joy in the story-telling of His faithful follower, Mary Magdalene, who’s recollecting his martyrdom and resurrection in the extremely expressive sequence Surgit Christus cum tropheo in the last section of the programme. This includes the famous sequence Victimae paschali laudes (in the polyphonic setting) with joyful Mary Magdalene proclaiming that Christ has risen and broken the yoke of death. This most important moment for Christianity affirms the Saviour's reappearance as the new Adam (Adam novus, Resurgentis), and incites all of His followers to rejoice in His victory over death (Mors vite propitia). The pieces chosen for this programme, enriched by the instrumental improvisations, span two centuries and stem mostly from Parisian and Spanish sources. The CD with this programme will be issued by GLOSSA in 2011.