Ed Lyon sings all three languages with great clarity and alertness to the sense of the words, ornaments his line idiomatically and displays an appealing ease and evenness of voice production across all registers.

It’s a lovely concept – an album of the 17th century’s greatest hits, where only the catchiest, most irrepressibly infectious dances and the swooniest ballads need apply...There’s a real sense of musical camaraderie here – of spontaneous conversations and mutual enjoyment of skill...Lyon has put together a wonderfully wide-ranging programme but it’s the French repertoire where he really shines.

This lovingly-crafted debut album from the English tenor is easy listening in the most positive sense – though most of the material here was new to me, several of the songs wormed their way into my consciousness after a single hearing, and Lyon approaches them from a standpoint of sound historical awareness spiced with the odd audacious anachronism. Recommended for casual listeners and early music aficionados alike.

One of the year’s most enjoyable discs...Part of the charm, Lyon’s versatile singing aside, is the rich accompaniment...Switching with agility between French, Italian and English, he gives each track distinct character and spirit. One for any baroque fan’s Christmas list.