Before 1980 George Jeffreys (c 1610-85) was little more than a name in the musical encyclopaedia, though at least the writer of his entry in Grove (1928 ed) pointed ahead, saying, 'it seems probable that Jeffreys will ultimately take up a position among the most important of Purcell's immediate predecessors. 'Somebody, the writer advised, needed to explore. Peter Aston, professor of music at the University of East Anglia, started to do just that when he came upon a stray alto part so unusual that it almost defied imagination to devise a context for it. A Musick Strange was the title of the recording (2/81) which was an eventual outcome of his researches, and it received a strong welcome in Gramophone both from David Fallows as the original reviewer and in 'Quarterly Retrospect' the following April, where it was pronounced 'certainly one of the records of the year'.
Though now on CD (on the Merlin label), that recital enjoyed perhaps less attention than it deserved, and we must hope that this new issue by the excellent Laudate will further help to bring Jeffreys to the notice of listeners who will appreciate him. Included here are several items found on the earlier record, and more besides. Most are sombrely Italianate, with poignant harmonies and intervals, the words set by a mind that burrows deep into their meaning. At the centre of the programme are two finely wrought pieces, A Musick Strange and Whisper it easily. Performances and recording are thoroughly commendable. The notes by Simon Whalley are sufficient to provide an introduction but no more. For those who have the original record, this one brings a useful supplement (for instance, in the setting of Herbert's Rise, heart) ; and these young musicians do the still-obscure composer a valuable service.'