Though there is no record of a complete performance until more than a century following the composer's death, Bach's Mass in B minor has taken its place at the top table of major choral works. Many commentators view it as at least partly a conscious summation of his comprehensive skills, along the lines of The Art of Fugue or the Musical Offering. Its constituent parts – in many instances adapted from a variety of his own earlier pieces – form a remarkable unity brought together with an often sublime grandeur.

Yet, in this interpretation by the English Concert and Choir under Harry Bicket, it was often the more intimate moments that proved the most memorable. Bach might never have dreamed of a performance in a building on the scale of the Albert Hall, but the 42-member choir offered a substantial tone that maintained clarity and focus virtually throughout, while the 50-piece orchestra's tireless delivery of their mammoth contribution was equally consistent. If the gentle luminescence of period flutes or oboes is not destined to cut through fully in this venue, their essential beauty drew the listener into their delicate sound world, while the three trumpet players were thrilling in their security and presence.

Bicket's approach was relaxed, never driving the music unnecessarily, if occasionally underplaying the individuality of its gestures and its sense of momentum. Yet there were many high points along the way, and overall the journey proved a rewarding one. The team of soloists ranged from bass Matthew Rose's solidity, through Ed Lyon's purposeful tenor to Carolyn Sampson's and Joélle Harvey's limpid soprano singing.

There was some superb duet work, but when counter-tenor Iestyn Davies sang his solos, his extraordinary tonal richness and imaginative phrasing combined into something truly unforgettable.