The final two volumes of this ambitious series follow the pattern of the first four with a large cast of singers – pages of biographies but song texts online only. There are constant changes of style as a result of presenting the songs in alphabetical order. As I noted when reviewing the four earlier volumes (10/08, 12/08), this forces us to take Ives complete with the Victoriana included. Forty of these were published in John Kirkpatrick’s edition in 1993 but few of them have made their way into concert programmes or onto CD. The Naxos complete edition could change that. Many of these early songs have memorable tunes, are expertly crafted in the idiom of the 1890s – somewhere between Lieder and the salon ballad – and deserve a life of their own.

What is less convincing about this whole collection is the enormous cast of singers. Some of them don’t know much about Ives, whose humour is often missed, and some songs needed a lighter touch. But there are compensations. The jingoistic “They Are There!” that Ives recorded himself is rattled off with seven singers plus piccolo and more; “A Son of a Gambolier” is fun with all the specified instrumental extras; “Rough Wind”, also the opening theme of Symphony No 1, uses two pianists – the transcription for a single player was impossible; and the late song “Sunrise” (Tamara Mumford), with violin and piano, is sadly atmospheric. Ryan MacPherson is brazenly effective in the election cynicism of “Vote for Names!” and the epigrammatic “September”. Patrick Carfizzi and pianist Douglas Dickson make a vivid team in an earlier election song “William Will” but I still can’t get used to the fine countertenor Ian Howell in something like “Serenity”.

Robert Gardner’s flexible baritone is once again a delight in all the Ives styles. His “Paracelsus” makes an impressive start to Vol 5; “West London” carries its drama through into the soft piano postlude; and only his spoken introduction to “Thoreau” is disappointing. It’s a pleasure to hear the silvery charm of Sumi Kittelberger whose “Ein Ton” (a really catchy tune), “Sehnsucht” and “Widmung” are exquisitely done. The English versions of all these songs are included in earlier volumes. Mary Phillips charms with songs such as “Wiegenlied” and “Yellow Leaves”. So this is a mixed bag replete with interest; the singers are capably served by an army of pianists; and the series is a genuine landmark in presenting Ives whole like this for the first time.