This Easter Day setting may be thought of as a prequel to the composer's earlier Easter Carol (included in The Novello Book of Music for Lent and Easter) which imagines Mary Magdalene, having just recognised the risen Christ, running to tell the other disciples what she has seen. This piece features three distinct sections which depict the earlier dawn, Mary herself weeping by the open and empty tomb (complete with echo), and a final section which combines Mary's moment of joy at recognising Christ, with the disciples' reaction to the good news of the Resurrection. The text, as is so often the case, links resurrection with the new life of spring.

A 19th century translation of a much earlier text (14th or 16th century), it first appeared as a hymn and the final section of this setting nods in the direction of the hymn tradition, even leading — should it be appropriate and desired — into the playover of that wonderful Easter Day classic Jesus Christ is Risen Today, the final alleluias added by the composer to cement that relationship.

This piece was written for Colm Carey and the choir of the Chapels Royal, HM Tower of London.