Published in 1922 after scooping a Carnegie Trust Award‚ York Bowen’s Second String Quartet proves a most endearing discovery. Brimful of sweet­toothed yet never cloying melodic charm and written with consummate virtuosity for the medium‚ it’s a fluent‚ poised and readily assimilable creation which merits immediate investigation by anyone with a penchant for‚ say‚ Bax or Korngold. Its unpublished successor was probably conceived about the same time (the manuscript is dated September 1919) and again boasts a wealth of big­hearted‚ felicitous invention. Both works follow the same classical ground­plan‚ comprising two soundly constructed‚ sonata­form outer movements which frame a tenderly reflective slow movement in straightforward ternary form‚ and both certainly merit their resuscitation here. A similar technical mastery‚ harmonic pungency and generously lyrical cast inform Bowen’s later Phantasy Quintet for the unusual (indeed unique?) combination of bass clarinet and string quartet‚ a single­movement essay of considerable imagination and frequently haunting beauty. I’m happy to report that the Archaeus Quartet‚ who left such favourable impression with their discs of music by Leonard Salzedo (Dutton‚ 3/02) and Minna Keal (Lorelt‚ 7/97)‚ are sterling advocates of all this rewarding material. Timothy Lines‚ too‚ contributes most sensitively in the Quintet‚ and the sound is vivid to match. A stimulating and enjoyable release from the British Music Society.