It's common enough to find recordings of Purcell or Byrd from Continental ensembles, but to have a distinguished group such as this playing a more insular figure like John Jenkins comes as something of a pleasant surprise. English composers of his generation have something very distinctive to offer, even though they may not score as highly as some of their Continental contemporaries in terms of historical eminence.
Jenkins's idiom isn't as angular as that of his contemporary William Lawes, though he can trade in 'those sourest sharps and uncouth flats' along with the best of them, and match Lawes' energy (as in the Newark Siege, one of the gems of this collection). The generous tone of Hantaï's ensemble (in which the continuo is an audibly well-nourished presence) lends the gentler pieces a warm glow. And when required, they certainly can play their socks off: the Newark Siege sees them switch from swashbuckling truculence to more melancholy repose at the end with barely a hint of changing gear.
This is chamber-music, and chamber musicmaking, of real distinction.