Even a devout Elgarian like myself admits that his solo songs are, in the main, undistinguished (his choral songs are another matter entirely). Over the years I have bought and listened to several recorded collections, and all have disappointed.
However, I believe that with this recording we have an exception. Malcolm Martineau and the three singers are the most persuasive advocates I have yet heard for this repertoire. And the selection itself is strong. One can quibble about one or two inclusions and exclusions: I would have loved to hear Catherine Wyn-Rogers singing 'It isnae me', and why is 'There are seven that pull the thread' almost always excluded from Elgar song recitals? Nevertheless, most of the 'better' mature songs are there, and I think the early songs well selected.
Don't expect to hear many shades of 'Enigma', 'Gerontius', or the delightful 'Starlight Express' songs on this disk. However, to my mind, it remains the strongest collection, and the finest all-round performance of this repertoire yet recorded.
