Considering the fact that the clarinet has been around for nearly three centuries and inspired Mozart and Brahms to write masterpieces, it is a pity that its solo repertory remains small and that much of it is music of the second rank. That description undoubtedly fits the Sechs Lieder that Spohr wrote for Simon Hermstedt in 1837. However, they have charm as well as a characteristic blandness, and three years ago I enjoyed playing the piano part in a performance in Switzerland. Indeed, in a letter to the composer, Mendelssohn praised No. 2 for ''its perfectly natural sweetness'', adding ''how often have I sung it with my sisters, and each time with renewed pleasure''. Elizabeth Ritchie, Victoria Soames and Jennifer Purvis bring freshness and skill to this music, while the clarinettist's performance has the tonal flexibility to remind us that Hermstedt modelled himself on the best violinists of his day.
The rest of the programme is also enjoyable and demonstrates the skill and interpretative range of the singer as well as that of the clarinettist and her instrumental colleagues. The recording, made in the ample acoustic of St George's, Brandon Hill, Bristol, is well enough balanced but short of colour and presence, and so does not do full justice to the tone of the singer and instrumentalists. None the less, this is a well-chosen programme and deserves to attract collectors interested in this repertory.'