Given Christine Schäfer's wide-ranging repertoire, this mixing of 17th-century English and 20th-century American songs is no surprise. Her exemplary clarity of tone and diction, and her emotional commitment to both composers, make for a powerful recital.

The first part of the disc intersperses Crumb's moderately Coplandesque Three Early Songs (1947) with Purcell favourites like "Sweeter than Roses" and "Music for a While". The sovereign authority of Schäfer's voice and the intensity of her presence makes for a seamless narrative, and the clarity of her diction and innate dramatic sensibility revitalise the Purcell works.