The request for Haydn to write The Seven Last Words came from a priest in Cádiz to mark Good Friday. Setting the words of Christ gave Haydn the basis for the construction of seven slow and meditative movements to be played by the orchestra as the Bishop descended from the pulpit to pray. The following year Haydn arranged the work for string quartet and a version for keyboard was prepared. To this version, which he did not prepare himself, Haydn gave his wholehearted approval noting that it was ‘very good and made with particular care’.