Whether or not these vocal works were meant to be sung by male singers is debateable, but Helen Charlston’s rich, deep timbre make such distinctions irrelevant. Supple, controlled and vibrato free, she is sympathetically supported by a combination of treble, tenor and bass viols, which come into their own in Byrd’s complex but rhythmically appealing Fantasias.

It is immediately apparent that The Chelys Consort is smooth and fluid in its performances. Each voice stands out so that one can appreciate Byrd’s often twisting lines, with a depth that provides a soft and integrated texture. The vocal parts sung by Helen Charlston are done with ease and a good sense of integrating the text into the ensemble as a whole. Well worth obtaining.

[Charlston] can give life to a line like few others; her diction is marvellous, and marvellously varied; everything flows with incomparable beauty.

Songs lamenting the deaths of the courtier Philip Sidney and Byrd’s mentor Thomas Tallis stand out amid a consistently intriguing programme. Played by the Chelys Consort and flawlessly sung by the mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, the whole thing is beautifully done.