Fretwork; Richard Boothby director; Jan Kobow tenor (as Evangelist); Jimmy Holliday bass (as Jesus); Lucy Cox soprano I; Eleanor Minnie soprano II; Elisabeth Paul alto; Simon Wall tenor; Tom Herring bass; Silas Wollston organ

Johann Theile’s St Matthew Passion, published in Lübeck in 1673 soon after he completed his studies with Heinrich Schütz, has earned its place in history with an intimate mix of contemplative recitatives, spellbinding choral interjections and final chorus of thanksgiving, offering a profound meditation for Good Friday as one of the first settings of the story of Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion to include arias that reflect on the enormity of his death.