Royal Maundy Royal Maundy Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. At the service, the British monarch or a royal official ceremonially distributes small silver coins known as "Maundy money" (legally, "the Queen's Maundy money") as symbolic alms to elderly recipients. The coins are legal tender but do not circulate because of their silver content and numismatic value. A small sum of ordinary money is also given in lieu of gifts of clothing and food that the sovereign once bestowed on Maundy recipients. The name "Maundy" and the ceremony
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