The programme itself bears MacGregor’s stamp, combining tradition with innovation. Her Bach concerto gives Gould (Sony, 7/60^R) a run for his money in the wilful stakes, never letting us forget the piano’s percussive qualities. Though her drive can be initially exciting she favours dynamism over colour, while subtlety is hardly her strong point. Her jabby, slightly detached approach, full of accents, might emanate from a desire to imitate the harpsichord but aurally it fast becomes wearing. The resonant recording, by contrast, bathes everything in a soft focus. Comparisons with Murray Perahia (Sony, 5/01) or Angela Hewitt (with the masterly Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hyperion, 9/05) quickly put things in perspective, particularly in the elegantly shaped and shaded lines of Perahia’s slow movement. And, strangely, MacGregor’s finale is less virtuoso than one might expect.

I don’t think the acoustic helps matters in the Stravinsky work either, the strings of the Britten Sinfonia sounding quite beefy and lacking the chiselled quality of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (DG, 8/00), which also manages to impart considerable grace to the music.

MacGregor’s Dowland arrangements fare better, particularly “Forlorn Hope Fancy”, but the pieces by Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti are quickly forgotten. The best comes last: Golijov’s Last Round given virtuoso treatment by the Britten Sinfonia, while MacGregor clearly relishes the Piazzolla works, which play to her strengths, visceral effect and drama to the fore.