Jacqueline Shave directed from the violin this interpretation of the first of Bach's extant Passion settings by the Britten Sinfonia, maintaining an enviable coherence and sense of continuity in a work whose narrative trajectory needs to be kept in motion.

Just a decade away from its 300th anniversary, the St John Passion – now usually a concert-hall piece rather than a liturgical act of worship – is performed in cultural contexts quite different from those of its initial appearance on Good Friday 1724 in front of a congregation at a Lutheran church in Leipzig, yet its power to engage and move remains palpable. These days interpretations come in many sizes: in this venue and with this specific acoustic, an orchestra of 19 and a choir of 13 seemed well judged.

Tenor Nicholas Mulroy sang the crucial role of the Evangelist, his narration direct yet dramatically motivated, and inflected with many memorable touches, most notably at his anguished delivery of Peter's grieving for his denial of Christ. Matthew Brook sang Christus and the bass arias with measured nobility, while Eamonn Dougan was the forthright Pilate, and Jeremy Budd addressed the tenor solos with clean and focused tone.

Both Julia Doyle's soprano contribution and Iestyn Davies's alto equivalent were exceptional; hers in its lightness and grace, his in its warm tonal glow and stylish musicianship. Throughout, the ensemble's instrumentalists brought vitality to their musicianship, especially in some superb obbligato interventions: viola da gamba player Richard Tunnicliffe's duetting with Davies in Es ist Vollbracht! was particularly treasurable. But it was in something as simple as the discreet stage management of the event, with individual performers moving in and out of the limelight to perform their solos, that its effortless flow was achieved.

• At Theatre Royal, Norwich on 20 April. Box office: 01603 630000. Venue: theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

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