So many elements combined to make this one of the most divine enterprises of English Touring Opera’s outstanding season.

And what an incredible mixture of talents it was, from the ebullient conducting of the highly disciplined Cantamus Chamber Choir by Jonathan Peter Kenny, through four outstanding soloists, to The Old Street Band playing period instruments it was truly an evening to remember.

Kenny’s crafting of Bach’s chorales, seemingly almost woven by his hands, brought out the intrinsic sinews of heavenly harmony. Baritone Grant Doyle’s singing of the famous aria with only pizzicato accompaniment was surreal, and underpinning much of the solo work was the sympathetic continuo work of cellist Kinga Gaborjani.

Cantamus director of music, Michael Daniels played the trumpet in Cantata BWV 147 with his usual aplomb, and not one split note from his Bach trumpet, a most difficult instrument.

As much as anything, it was the human touch that gave the performance another dimension: the cameo of oboist Leo Duarte telling the story of his prized instruments and, joy of joys, the audience practising and eventually singing – in English, of course – the choral movement Jesu, joy of man’s desiring.