Some of the most recognisable Easter symbols are influenced by pagan beliefs. A bunny or hare, for example, is said to have originated with the Celtic goddess of Spring, Ostara. The hare was her animal companion but also a symbol of fertility in its own right. The date itself is strongly linked to the ‘Spring Equinox’, the pagan festival that celebrated the day in March where night and day are of equal length. Starting with a “pagan” work for this Holy Week may be a controversial choice, in fact, this piece caused a major scandal during its first performance in March 1913. Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring represents the pagan theme of a girl sentenced to dance as a sacrifice until death ensues. The unconventional ballet choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky was certainly shocking to traditional audiences. The dissonant strings provoked images of the girl’s desperation, and the unsettling alternations between loud and quiet left the listener in a constant state of anxiety.