When Haydn stopped in Passau on his second journey to England, he heard a vocal version of his own orchestral work “The Seven Last Words”. It had been made by the Kapellmeister at Passau cathedral Joseph Friebert and Haydn was quite impressed – except: “I believe I could have done the voice parts better”.

He acquired a copy and set about making his own vocal version, taking over most of the text. Haydn particularly liked his own vocal work and it was also enthusiastically received by his cont...