Maundy Thursday April 22 inclusive, but these dates fall on different days depending on whether the Gregorian calendar or Julian calendar is used liturgically. Eastern churches generally use the Julian calendar and celebrate this feast throughout the 21st century between April 1 and May 5 in the more commonly used Gregorian calendar. The liturgy held on the evening of Maundy Thursday initiates the Easter Triduum, the period which commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus; this period includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and ends on the evening of Easter. The Mass of the Lord's Supper or service of worship is
The World's Ransoming Ransoming" was the first of three pieces comprising MacMillan's Easter triptych "Triduum", which would later include the composer's Cello Concerto and his Symphony: 'Vigil'. In the score program notes, MacMillan wrote, ""The World's Ransoming" focuses on Maundy Thursday and its musical material includes references to plainsongs for that day, "Pange lingua" and "Ubi caritas" as well as a Bach chorale ("Ach wie nichtig") which I have heard being sung in the eucharistic procession to the altar of repose." The title of the piece comes from the words of Thomas Aquinas's hymn "Pange Lingua". The work is scored for a solo