Certainly his technical command of the lute and the French 17th-century idiom is impressive. He understands the underlying rhetoric, musical textures and expressive power of its ornamentation practices. His booklet-notes provide fresh perspectives on lute-playing in the 17th century and acknowledge that the French repertoire isn’t ‘remotely as straightforward and instantly likeable’ as that of the English or later German schools. The challenge he sets himself is to make us comfortable with it.

Only a few people have recorded this repertoire (Nigel North, for one), historically important because of its profound influence on harpsichordists and viol players. Hence the composers are almost unknown to most of us. Ericson has limited himself here to four, Dufaut, Gallot, Mercure and Pinel (the melodious music of Jacques Gallot is instantly engaging), each represented by a single suite of dances opening with an unmeasured prelude (except the Mercure). Dufaut’s G minor suite is interesting for its three successive courantes, all with syncopated rhythmic patterns, the second more rhetorical and the last more melodic. Particularly attractive are the sarabandes of Dufaut (with its folksong quality) and Mercure (Ericson achieves here a charming effect with gentle strumming on the off-beats). Ericson makes us think anew about gigues by taking those of both Mercure and Pinel at a gentler pace than one is accustomed to hearing in later Baroque music. Let’s hope he follows up this sensitively recorded CD with further examples!