It is common enough to find recordings of Purcell or Byrd from continental ensembles, but a more insular figure like John Jenkins comes as something of a pleasant surprise; I say pleasant, because English composers of his generation have something very distinctive to offer, even though they may not score as highly as some of their continental contemporaries in terms of historical pre-eminence (only think of William Lawes!).

As such it seems a shame that they are the exclusive preserve of English performers. Fretwork, for example, devoted a fine anthology to Jenkins nearly 10 years ago (Virgin Classics). This new offering is more limited in scope and length – there are fewer of the solos and duos that Fretwork include by way of contrast – but it’s every bit as impressive. Jenkins’s idiom is not as angular as William Lawes’, though he can trade in ‘those sourest sharps and uncouth flats’ along with the best of them, and match Lawes’ energy (as in the Newark Siege, one of the gems of this collection). The generous tone of Hantaï’s ensemble (in which the continuo is an audibly well-nourished presence) lends the gentler pieces a warm glow: their F major six-part Pavan is more sensuous than Fretwork’s characteristically incisive reading, and though their virtuosity is less fierce than the English group’s, they certainly can play their socks off: the Newark Siege sees them switch from swashbuckling truculence to more melancholy repose at the end with barely a hint of changing gear.

The Fretwork comparison is instructive, but the winner is actually Jenkins, for there is little duplication between the two sets: the suites, for example, are all different. If you already own the Fretwork disc, you already know how good Jenkins is. This CD can only add to your pleasure. This is chamber-music, and chamber music-making, of real distinction.