Steven Harrold, tenor for the Hilliard Ensemble, opened Wednesday night's concert at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, part of the Cathedral Concerts series, with a short solo. His phrasing was subtle but strong and his voice moved from note to note as effortless as a bow moves from string to string.

        A few bars later, violinist Christoph Poppen made his solo entrance, and his violin mirrored Mr. Harrold's voice in a way that was so sonorous it was startling.

        The infusion of voice and violin was a constant throughout the ensemble's performance of Morimur, a work that interweaves Johann Sebastian Bach's Partita in D minor for solo violin with some of his chorale works. It culminates with his landmark Ciaconna, which features both the vocalists and the violinist.

        In the autumn of 2001, the ensemble released a recording of Morimur for the German record label ECM. The work is based on the research of music professor Helga Thoene, who discovered profound correlations between J.S. Bach's chorales, the D minor partita, and the Ciaconna. The album was heralded by critics as one of the best classical recordings of 2001.

        The Hilliard Ensemble, which also includes soprano Monika Mauch, countertenor David James, and baritone Gordon Jones, is known for its fluid, silken phrasing.

        On Wednesday, their balance — whether among themselves or with Mr. Poppen, was astounding.

        Mr. Poppen's interpretation of “Gigue” was explosive. He played with a sort of laid-back tenacity, never rushing passages with difficult runs on the fingerboard. During “Chaconne,” he was in a constant crescendo throughout, adding suspense and mystery to the work.

        The partita was followed by several short chorale works. The selections — some buoyant and light, such as “Jesu meine Freude,” others darker, such as “Dien Will gescheh” — showed the Hilliard's ability to sing anything with precision, clarity and authenticity.

        Chaconne, J.S. Bach's work for violin and four voices, opened with another tenor solo. As the violin wove its way into the soloist's melody, the piece sounded more like a duet for cello and violin.

        Many in the audience bobbed their heads to the music like passionate fans, and the program notes must not have been enough for one listener — he followed along with a score.

        The ensemble finished to an extended standing ovation.

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Hilliard Ensemble, violinist in silken duet
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