It appears that the willingness of Peter Holman to root out unknown music which was the driving force behind Hyperion’s “English Orpheus” recordings has not abated with that excellent series’ discontinuation. Now with Chandos, Holman and the Parley of Instruments offer a selection of English chamber works and small-scale pieces for voice and instruments from a period of about 25 years overlapping with the death of Purcell in 1695 and the arrival of Handel in 1711. Of the 10 works, seven are claimed as premiere recordings.

The choice reflects the strong influence of immigrant composers such as Draghi, Matteis, Pepusch, Haym and Handel, as well as reminding us of the tenacity of the native manner in the creations of Purcell, Courteville, Croft and Weldon. Thus, while a work such as Purcell’s ever-wonderful Tell me, some pitying Angel owes a debt to Italy, and Weldon’s Suite is populated with French dances, Draghi’s Sonata is a jagged and toughly chromatic piece of work in the mould of Locke and Lawes, and Pepusch closes his Smallcoal Sonata with a rustic-sounding dance. Even Handel’s cantata Venus and Adonis, which in most respects sounds like it has been parachuted in from another planet, ends with a glance towards the village green. And, of course, Purcell casts his own shadow over younger Englishmen such as Croft or Weldon.

It looks like a fascinating time, the richness of which could perhaps only be properly revealed by a wisely chosen programme of rarities such as this, so it is a pity that the performances are not quite as delightful. Everything is stylish and full of understanding, and Philippa Hyde’s voice is clear and strong, but while some may ascribe a kind of astringent charm to the violin sound, others would undoubtedly consider it plain scrawny and hard to live with.