A rare performance of Johann Sebastiani’s St Matthew Passion, published in Königsberg in 1672. It predates J. S. Bach’s more famous version by over half a century, and calls for more modest forces: four viols and organ accompany the Evangelist, while two violins join with Christus. Instead of Arias, Sebastiani sets well-known ‘Lied’, such as ‘O Lamb Gottes’ and ‘Innsbruck’. The chorus consists of five solo voices and the whole work lasts barely 90 minutes. Yet this gives an intimate and intense experience of Christ’s ultimate suffering and death.