Andreas Scholl - English Folksongs & Lute Songs (1996)

This disc received the 1998 Cannes Classical Music Award for "Best Vocal Perfomance - 17th/18th Centuries".
Though often overlooked, the lute music of Renaissance Europe was as important in its time as the keyboard music that enjoys continued popularity. In revisiting the lute and traditional songs accompanied by lute, countertenor Andreas Scholl and lutenist Andreas Martin bring back some of the more intimate Renaissance melodies.
Though mellowed with age, Scholl's voice has retained the sweetness of a chorus boy's. His years of training in early music give him an instinct for the poetry of these pieces. The songs of John Dowland, many written in the employ of King Christian IV of Denmark, are songs of love: love lost, love won, love everlasting. The theme runs through all the works in this collection. Bridging the gap between popular music and art music, these songs still stir the heart.
Martin's lute is a simple accompaniment through most pieces, although a couple of instrumentals show the instrument's full personality. With its rich harpsichord-like tone, it is a wonder that lute music like this is not more prevalent.