In the heyday of English Renaissance music, the boundaries of musical forms and instrumental technique were expanded, and composers embarked on a search for new, fascinating sounds. Thanks to the outstanding ensemble on this recording—Anna-Lena Elbert (soprano), Friederike Heumann (viola da gamba, lyra viol), Evangelina Mascardi (Renaissance lute), and Angélique Mauillon (harp)—this music blossoms again in its ancient splendor, and we can be enchanted by its beauty, ingenuity, and bittersweet melancholy.