In his last release, ‘The Gentleman’s Flute’ (2/11), Stefan Temmingh focused on the kind of music experienced by the middle-class mainstream of 18th-century Britain, as opposed to the more rarefied reaches of the court and aristocracy, by offering Handel opera arias as they were served up in 18th-century commercial instrumental arrangements. Here he turns to popular song. His plan is simple: take a song well known to 18th-century ears – ‘Greensleeves’, say, or Dowland’s ‘Flow my teares’, or an outright folksy number like ‘John come kiss me now’ – and pair it with a contemporary instrumental treatment.

In the nature of things, these are often variation sets, such as the vigorous goings-over Geminiani gives to ‘Lady Ann Bothwel’s Lament’ and ‘An Irish Tune’, or Van Eyck’s haunting solo recorder version of the ever-sweet ‘Daphne’. They are great tunes of course, and in truth the musical strength and interest often comes more from that than from the quality of the variations, but the full-toned virtuosity of Temmingh’s recorder and the creative musicality of his accompanying continuo band (haunting guitar from Rolf Lislevand in ‘Lady Ann Bothwel’, and elsewhere effective use of Margret Koell’s harp) make for an entertaining and often affecting programme.

The songs are sung by the German soprano Dorothee Mields, whose voice is more in English early-music style than English folk but whose performances are secure and intelligent, with a beguiling slight flutter. Some more English coaching would have been welcome though: her accent is not too badly evident and I’m sure most singers would struggle to get out all the text in d’Urfey’s wordy satire ‘The King’s Health’, but some words (‘prog’ for ‘prig’, ‘wife’ for ‘wise’) are simply wrong. A fine singer, she is at her best in the Dowland and a moving rendition of Dido’s Lament that ends the programme – a show stopper, as always.