Christophers is in his element here, and though his string ensemble is half the size of Purcell’s Twenty-Four Violins, he coaxes a robust, full-bodied sound from his players. The detailed recording puts the octet of singers up-front, so the words seem to chisel the musical line.

The Welcome Songs are full of fascinating, top-notch Purcell, both vocally and instrumentally. As one might expect, Christophers’s long familiarity with Purcell yields richly satisfying and stylish readings.

Using just 12 string players and eight singers, Christophers creates a vivid sense of celebration and occasion, conjuring blustering trumpet fanfares and drum-rolls from his ensemble, while his solo singers pre-empt the textural variety and rhetorical sensitivity of Purcell’s stage works.

In Ye Tuneful Muses and Sound the Trumpet, the Sixteen’s vocal forces are halved, permitting immaculately stylish singers to shine as 'soloists': Kirsty Hopkins and Katy Hill perform a beguiling duet in the first 'Song'; Daniel Collins and Jeremy Budd are hardly less compelling in Let Caesar [James] and Urania [Mary] Live, in the second.

Christophers coaxes virtuosic performances from eight members of the Sixteen, with a fine band of period instrumentalists revelling in the glories of Purcell’s unique harmonic palette. Recommended.

Purcell’s substantial, richly inventive welcome songs were written to celebrate the return from holiday of the court of King James II and Queen Mary. Almost operatic in scale and ambition, both deserve to be heard more especially in performances as poised and well-executed as here.

The period-instrument ensemble giving it their all in playing of bristling, baroque brilliance and vocal performances that negotiate texture and tone with adroit nimbleness. Emerging throughout is the sound of Purcell the opera- composer yet to come, a quality Christophers realises with consummate elegance. Vivid sound and Andrew Pinnock’s excellent notes add to the pleasure.