William Lawes is better known for his instrumental music than for vocal music, and his brother Henry’s reputation today rests principally on his songs. This recital of Carolinian sacred music offers a focused look at the pair in a largely unfamiliar setting, with (this being from The Ebor Singers) a significant nod in the direction of the Siege of York in 1644. One might not expect to find William at his most daring in music of this sort, and in truth not all the music here is top-notch (the setting of Psalm 6, for instance). But at its best there’s much to enjoy: the setting of Psalm 22 is more successful, and every now and then a recognisable gesture will leap out at those who know his consort music well.

These committed and sympathetic performances take wing, generally speaking, when Lawes does so himself (again, Psalm 22, the most substantial work recorded here, is a conspicuous success). The choral selections and sections fare best; the soloists (mostly drawn from among the lower voices) could be fleeter of voice and surer of tone, and there’s a slight mismatch between their vocal style and the tone of the vocal ensemble. The latter rightly throws caution to the wind in the defiant round See how Cawood’s dragon looks; more such confidence would have served equally well throughout – it’s a quality which William Lawes seems to have possessed in abundance.