This venerable institution has had a spring in its collective step ever since David Hill was appointed as its music director. The choir now sounds younger and fresher, the blending and balancing of voices more refined.

A choir of some 130 voices might be substantially greater than the scale of forces nowadays favoured by many Bach interpreters but the tightness and discipline of this performance ensured that the larger body of singers did not compromise the clarity or flow of the work. Projection of the German text was excellent and Hill’s setting of tempi allowed his voices to colour their lines.