For music lovers, the year 1610 is famous above all for the publication of Monteverdi’s Vespers, a virtuosic, exuberant showpiece written in the most up-to-date style. Less widely known is that the same publication contained another remarkable composition, entirely different in conception and outlook: the sumptuous Missa in illo tempore. In this exquisite work, Monteverdi pays affectionate homage to the style of his Renaissance forerunners. Chief among these was Palestrina, whose psalm- motets, programmed here between the movements of Monteverdi’s mass, are perfect examples of the simplicity and profound beauty which established him as the greatest composer of the ItalianRenaissance. This programme, performed by candlelight, should be a magical experience and a certain sellout.