Randall Scotting is an American countertenor who stepped in at short notice to replace Tim Mead when Covent Garden mounted a new production of Britten’s Death in Venice at the end of 2019. A solo recording, ‘The Crown – Heroic Arias for Senesino’ was recently enjoyed by Richard Wigmore (11/22). Now comes ‘Lovesick’, an anthology of mainly 17th-century songs; but whereas on the earlier album he was accompanied by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Laurence Cummings, here Scotting has only the support of Stephen Stubbs, playing variously a bass lute, a Baroque guitar and a Renaissance lute.

The programme is skilfully planned and beautifully executed. It begins explosively – no preparatory bars from the lute – with William Lawes’s ‘I’m sick of life’, an earlyish attempt, one would guess, at recitative in English. It’s followed by two strophic songs: the traditional Scottish ‘There’s none to soothe my soul to rest’ and an air de cour, ‘Enfin la beauté que j’adore’ by Étienne Moulinié. There’s Italian opera, too, in the shape of arias from Cesti’s Orontea and Cleopatra by Daniele da Castrovillari, a name new to me.

Given the title of the album, it’s not surprising that there are no laughs to be had here. Monotony is averted by the inclusion of instrumental solos, none more beguiling than a Suite from Purcell’s King Arthur – presumably arranged by Stubbs – that comprises ‘Your hay it is mowed’, ‘Fairest Isle’ and ‘Come if you dare’. Scotting sings throughout with rich, even tone and clear diction. He essays tasteful decoration at the repeat of the closing lines of ‘Intorno all’idol mio’, and vividly imitates the ‘shrill trumpets’ (which, paradoxically, ‘never sound’) in the song from Purcell’s incidental music to Bonduca. In ‘Mary’s Dream’ he oddly takes a breath in the middle of ‘gently rais’d her head’; otherwise, no complaints. The booklet includes details of the instruments and sources – excellent – and BCE and CE dates – irritating (to me, anyway).