Thomas Tomkins’s collection of Songs of 3, 4, 5 & 6 Parts, published in 1622, is one of the last of the great English madrigal books, but until now it has received little attention. Of the 26 pieces here, only the rightly celebrated When David heard (one of three sacred settings in the collection) has received a respectable number of recordings, while most have probably never been recorded at all. No doubt this has something to do with the fact that Tomkins was, as usual, some way behind the times, taking little heed of contemporary Italian trends; yet although he may not have been a natural madrigalist like Wilbye or Weelkes, he was certainly a fine composer, and these pieces display all his customary professionalism and invention.

They also show considerable variety, from deeply serious pieces such as Too much I once lamented to robustly playful numbers such as O yes, has any found a lad, with many stages in between; Weep no more and Oft did I marle pass through numerous mood-changes, Adue, ye citty prisoning towers is a delightful little scherzo with a joke ending, and O let me live for true love seems to be a parody of Dowland’s Lachrymae.

Also striking is the imaginative way in which Tomkins uses ‘fa-la’ passages to enhance a work’s expressiveness, so that (for instance) the final section of See, see the shepheards queene really dances, while Phillis, now cease to move me ends in determinedly carefree dotted rhythms. Most affecting of all, perhaps, are the lazily rising and falling ‘fa-las’ which punctuate Too much I once lamented.

I Fagiolini make a strong case for this neglected music, not only negotiating its intricate textures with great skill but also demonstrating a strong feeling for shaping and characterisation. Effective handling of the music’s ebb and flow, such as the build-up and release of tension in Phillis yet see him dying, abound. There are occasional moments when an uncertain start to a note suggests that intonation has not quite ‘settled’, but these do not detract much from the overall enjoyment of the performances. This is a valuable and welcome release.