AN ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH SONG, Vol. s. Fair, sweet, cruel (Ford). Come sorrow, come; It was a lover and his lass; Mistress mine, well may you fare (Morley). What then is love but mourning; When Laura smiles (Rosseter). I saw my lady weep; Awake, sweet love; In darkness let me dwell (Dowland) Peter Pears (tenor), Julian Bream (lute). Decca LW5243 (so in., 595. 6d.).

Last June I reviewed Volume 3 of this anthology, containing twentieth century English songs. Volume i contains Elizabethan lute songs, to which Peter Pears again brings his sensitive way with English words, his characteristic timbre and his very individual way of placing a phrase within his voice. Julian Bream provides a most beautifully fashioned accompaniment. Yet the record is best not played through at a sitting, for a certain monotony of timbre results. One starts to wonder whether it would not have been a good idea to have a contrasting voice for some of the songs—and to have included, perhaps, a Morley twopart canzonet. Played singly, however, the songs afford great pleasure; there is hardly any need at this date to write about the felicities and light touch of Morley, or about Dowland's expressive music. Mr. Pears's voice is perhaps a little heavy for some of the Morley songs. The recording is very clear, and made at a very high level; listeners will find that they must turn the volume control unexpectedly far down if the result is not to be uncomfortable. A.P.