Royal welcome songs for King James II

"Christophers coaxes virtuosic performances from eight members of the Sixteen, with a fine band of period instrumentalists revelling in the glories of Purcell's unique harmonic palette. Recommended".

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"The seemingly indefatigable Christophers offers this as the first in a series of releases exploring the lesser-known Purcell, and it is to his credit and that of his musicians that, even as they could rest on their Classic FM laurels, they undertake fresh enterprises".

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"Editor's choice: Purcell's substantial, richly inventive welcome songs were written to celebrate the return from holiday of the court of King James II and Queen Mary ... [They] deserve to be heard more, especially in performances as poised and well-executed as here ... Singing, playing, recording and presentation are exemplary".

"Christophers is in his element here, and though his string ensemble is half the size of Purcell's Twenty-Four Violins, he coaxes a robust, full-bodied sound from his players. The detailed recording puts the octet of singers up-front, so the words seem to chisel the musical line ... In short, these joyful accounts shed light on some surprisingly seldomheard works".