The famous cycle On Wenlock Edge (1909) has of ten been recorded, but this is a fine rendering with ‘Bredon Hill’ providing some particularly sublime moments. As always Julius Drake’s accompanying is evocative and nuanced, and in ‘Is my team ploughing?’ the Piatti Quartet swathe the song in a delicate veil of tensile sound.

The Scottish tenor packs considerably more punch than I'm used to hearing in this repertoire, and I love it - Spence carries his vocal weight with consummate style and sensitivity, reserving the real firepower for climatic moments and bringing an exquisite tenderness to the more intimate songs such as 'Silent Noon'. The Piattis and Ridout, too, sound every bit as engaged with the texts as their singer throughout.

The Scottish tenor returns to Vaughan Williams on a disc full of sharp insight, his effortless fluidity drawing from familiar works a fresh beauty...Even a song cycle as established as the composer’s AE Housman settings offers up new vistas here

The Scottish tenor’s gift for combining pure tone with direct, daring expression makes this a covetable disc…[Bredon Hill is] magically done by all, as is the whole disc.