Opulent, sensuous and intimate, Monteverdi’s flamboyant Vespers is one of the wonders of the sacred music world. As befits the father of modern opera, a modest eventide church service is given the full, lavish theatrical treatment.

Instrumental flourishes, biblical love poetry from the Song of Solomon and the solemn rituals of the Roman Catholic liturgy combine as never before – or perhaps since. It is music of spellbinding spiritual fervour and emotional intensity, thrillingly alive to the breadth of the text and the possibilities of the human voice. This miraculous alchemy wrought from an unlikely source is a favourite calling card for today’s performers - Harry Christophers and his virtuosic vocal supergroup, The Sixteen.