In the 1640s Monteverdi, maestro of St. Mark’s Venice entered the last few years of his life, having written in both the impressive multi-choir style while also producing intimate miniatures for solo voices. Both these styles were copied all over Europe including Rome, where Orazio Benevoli produced outsize masses for four separated choirs, to be sung around the huge altar space of Michelangelo’s recently finished St Peter’s.

This sumptuous programme features such a Roman Mass with the choirs tossing their phrases from one to another, the four choirs to be split around the church! In a much more intimate style, Carissimi's short oratorio tells the heart-rending tale of Jephtha and his daughter, with echo effects and one of the finest choruses of the entire 17th century. Around these are presented Monteverdi’s greatest ensemble and solo works from Venice.