Famed for both the power and the poetry of her period performances, British violinist Rachel Podger has led many of the world’s finest early music ensembles. She was last heard to great acclaim with her own ensemble Brecon Baroque in Mozart at the 2017 International Festival.

In three intimate International Festival recitals, in the historic surroundings of St Cecilia’s Hall – Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert venue – Podger explores one of the most extraordinary collections of music ever composed: Biber’s mystical Rosary Sonatas.

Comprising 15 short musical meditations on moments in the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary, this is music of fearsome virtuosity and dazzling expressiveness, marking an intense spiritual journey for players and listeners alike.

In this second concert, Podger and her international colleagues survey the darkest, most agonising music in the collection – and also its most thrillingly virtuosic. The five ‘Sorrowful Mysteries’ take us from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion itself.