The Yorkshire Bach Choir opened the prestigious York Early Music Festival’s concert series with the first of a three-part exploration of Monteverdi’s masterpiece, Vespro della Beata Virgine.

The concert opened with the loveliest of organ toccatas by the great Andrea Gabrieli, followed by the Monastic Cantors from Ampleforth Abbey, seemingly stepping out of history, beautifully shaping the timeless lines of the plainchant melody which they deployed throughout the Minster.

Indeed, this dramatic exploitation of the musical dialogue was used to great effect throughout the whole performance. The Yorkshire Bach Choir were at the top of their game, in fact, I have not heard them perform better.

In the first of the Psalms, the six-part Dixit Dominus, both the choir and soloists clearly relished the exuberance and brilliance of Monteverdi’s score. The instrumental Sonatas were impeccably delivered throughout. Biagio Marini’s trio, for example, featured a virtuoso performance from violinist Lucy Russell, with exquisite phrasing and touch, drawing simply beautiful, almost “other-worldly” violin responses. Giovanni Gabrieli’s cornet trio (Roland Wilson, Arno Paduch and Jamie Savan) produced effortless dialogue with harmonies and intonation to die for.

The perfectly structured hymn, Ave Maria Stella, featured a gorgeous, velvety alto solo from Caroline Sartin. The performance of the seven-part Magnificat was simply sensational. Monteverdi's jaw-dropping inventive exploitation of both instrumental and vocal resources, brilliantly delivered by these terrific performers, guided by their inspirational conductor, Peter Seymour, was one of spellbinding wonder and joy.

How they could do this all again at 10pm was beyond me, and my bedtime.