The cornett was regarded as the King of Instruments at the turn of the seventeenth century, and this not only because of the uncanny proximity of its sound to that of the human voice but also because the intrument can be played extraordinarily fast. Our title for this album thus reflects not only the extravagance of the repertoire in terms of virtuosity, of notes-per-minute, but also its rich variety of expression. Jeremy West, acknowledged master of the instrument described by Mersenne as a 'ray of sunshine piercing the shadows', is joined by three leading exponents of this repertoire is this recital of dazzling virtuosity.