The last-minute withdrawal of the tenor Evangelist from a performance of Bach's St John Passion would normally leave a hole in the starting lineup of Rooneyesque proportions. But the fates were on Stephen Layton's side when John Mark Ainsley lost his voice just hours before the annual Good Friday Smith Square passion, and Ian Bostridge, no less, stepped straight off a flight from New York to take his place.

If Bostridge was suffering from lack of sleep, he did not show it. In the virtuosic passages where the Evangelist tells of Christ's scourging and Peter's weeping, Bostridge was technically incisive. But what really counted in his performance was his unfailing clarity and care with text. This was a heroic performance in all senses of the word.

Neal Davies's sonorous and seasoned Christus provided a powerful foil to Bostridge. The other soloists seemed a little disappointing and small-voiced by comparison. The exception to this was Julia Doyle, whose singing of the two soprano arias was radiant, intelligent and wholly engaging.

In the end, Passion performances stand or fall by the chorus. Polyphony are among the very best we have. They were clearly charged up for the occasion, as were the accompanying Academy of Ancient Music.

Layton has directed both this annual St John Passion and the Christmas Messiah for several seasons now. His readings, which are becoming ever more dramatic and daring, have a raw intensity. It was easy to see why these concerts have become one of the highlights in London's musical calendar.