Although he has received several major commissions, not least from the Royal Opera House and the BBC Proms, this is the first release devoted to Gavin Higgins (b1983) and features four chamber or instrumental works that confirm a fastidious and arresting compositional voice.

This is evident in Gursky Landscapes (2018), five diverse shots by the German photographer ‘translated’ into a sequence for string quintet of similarly distinct expressive contrasts which culminate in the ethereal monumentality of ‘Kathedrale’ (an earlier incarnation for accordion having been recorded by Rafa uc on Orchid Classics). Whereas these pieces mainly deal with human activity infiltrating a natural environment, Ruins of Detroit (2014) takes three photographs of the degradation to which ‘Motor City’ has latterly succumbed as basis for the piano trio’s graphic portrayal of change – sharply defined motifs underpinning images of deserted ballroom, abandoned car and ruined piano that conjure memories of better times.

A necessary emotional breathing space is provided by Seven Welsh Folk Songs (2021), lucid while always imaginative arrangements for solo violin with the rapturous ‘There is my Love’ and soulful ‘The Tree on the Hill’ its highlights. Ekstasis (2019) returns to weightier matters, as the string sextet explores unequivocal states of ecstasy such as drug-induced oblivion, orgiastic violence and spiritual fervency, each rendered in music whose emotional intensity feels more a gloss on its specific catalyst than a deeper or more considered exploration.

The dedication of the performers, including Thomas Gould, the Fidelio Trio and the Piatti Quartet, and the clarity and immediacy of the recording, are all highly impressive. Those drawn to music whose contemporaneity does not exclude accessibility should certainly investigate.