CANTRIX was a female singer at the Monastery of Sijena. Her duties were set out in the Rule of Sijena (1188). The roles of the PRECENTRIX and PARAPHONISTA were also defined.

The Rule provides a detailed description of how the bells, which are musical instruments in their own right, should be used within the monastery.

Remarkably, the Rule describes these musical functions in such detail that it seems as if the monastery were singing and sounding all the time. As we discovered later, the acoustics of the monastery church are simply overwhelmingly beautiful.

Queen Sancha and her husband, King Alfonso II of Aragon, were patrons of the arts and music. Peire Vidal, one of the most famous troubadours, was generously supported by the Aragonese rulers, a favour he returned by praising Alfonso II's decision to marry Queen Sancha, a young woman from Castile, rather than Princess Eudoxia and her caravans of gold from Constantinople. 

The central figure in the project is St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the Hospitallers. 

By selecting pieces from the neighbouring royal monastery of Las Huelgas in Castile, ensemble Peregrina once again painted a comprehensive picture of the medieval landscape of Aragon, Castile, the Hospitallers, and the Cistercians.

CD tracks, music piece transcriptions and the booklet can be found in the Ressources section.