'The Stradgrass Sessions’ – one of the more evocative album titles of late, conjuring late-into-the-night laughter, whiskey and musicians just having a grand old time. Violinist Tessa Lark brings us a smorgasbord of American folk styles, including some of her own compositions. Coined by Lark in 2015, the portmanteau refers to the 1683 ex-Gingold violin loaned to her at the time and her love for bluegrass traditions. There’s not much of the laid-back Irish fiddler here, legs crossed and weatherworn; rather, the sound is much more vital, while still retaining the rhythmic energy and choppy articulation of bluegrass. Lark forges a link with composers of the classical violin canon, too, and a fresh perspective is offered to the works by Ysaÿe and Bartók. It’s a meeting of worlds famously captured on ‘The Goat Rodeo Sessions’ (and Lark’s album title is perhaps a tip of the cowboy hat to this now-classic recording).

The album’s highlight is Edgar Meyer’s Concert Duo for violin and bass, for which Lark is joined in performance by the composer. It’s a remarkable sound world, full of quiet, angular funk. The duo’s rhythmic energy doesn’t reveal itself too obviously, yet every musical line is tantalisingly animated. Meyer plays with glorious nimbleness, oscillating with ease between groan and ping. Lark is capricious, ecstatic then conversational, friendly then weird. She more than holds her own across the album. Her sound is bright, with no-nonsense attack and clarity of note. Sparing vibrato, combined with a gorgeously harmonic approach towards intonation, makes for a wonderful warmth on her Maggini of c1600.

The encore – Stephen Foster’s Meditation on ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ – doesn’t quite sit as a fitting end to the album. After what is a fairly relentless stream of energy and muscle, it’s far too sedate and saccharine.