Depicting the final events leading to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, Bach's St Matthew Passion is a vivid sacred drama punctuated by sublime arias and contemplative choruses, at once heart-wrenching and full of hope.

Gardiner has been giving revelatory accounts of the St Matthew Passion with the outstanding period forces of his English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir since the 1980s – fervent, theatrical, and widely regarded as one of the pinnacles of historical performance.

They are joined by two exceptional singers. British tenor James Gilchrist has been described as the finest Evangelist of his generation, praised for his focus and penetrating clarity, and powerful German bass-baritone Stephan Loges is an intense interpreter of the role of Christ.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir will also be performing Schumann's Manfred at the Usher Hall on 11 August 7.30pm