This is Sarah Francis's second recording of Gordon Jacob's captivating Oboe Quartet, yet fi another in a long line of durable British chamber offerings fashioned for the great Leon Goossens. Not having listened to the work for a few years, it was heartening to discover just how many of its ideas had securely lodged themselves in my memory. More importantly, it's a piece that clearly means a great deal to Francis, for she responds with even greater affection, characterful spark and disarming grace than on her very fine 1984 version. The Quartet was penned in 1938, by which time Jacob had already been on the staff of the Royal College of Music for 14 years (he remained there until 1966, and his composition pupils included Sir Malcolm Arnold and Elizabeth Maconchy).

Two more distinguished instrumentalists, Evelyn Rothwell (aka Lady Barbirolli) and Frederick Grinke, were the lucky recipients of the poignantly reflective Oboe Sonata and satisfyingly meaty Sonatina for solo violin, completed in 1966 and 1954 respectively. Both strike me as well worth getting to know (admirers of Rubbra will recognise a definite kinship) and whet the appetite for Lyrita's promised pairing of Jacob's two numbered symphonies. The same goes for the Six Shakespearian Sketches (1946), a supremely touching and exquisitely imagined sequence written for the Carter String Trio. Dutton's generous programme concludes with the winsome Trio for flute/piccolo, oboe and harpsichord. Its 1958 Wigmore Hall premiere was given by the Sylvan Trio, whose members comprised Sarah Francis and her parents, John Francis on flute and Millicent Silver playing the selfsame Goble harpsichord employed on this CD.

These uniformly understanding performances have been beautifully engineered, and this is indeed a desirable anthology, expertly annotated by Lewis Foreman and jointly sponsored by the RVW Trust and the RCM.