There is a very large volume of English songs from the period, and of course Dowland is the acknowledged leader in the lute song (as opposed to the consort songs of Byrd, or the madrigals of others). While I enjoy many of these songs, they are not a high priority. As such, one recording is sufficient to represent the genre. Although there are a few other songs by Dowland which I like as well as many here, I easily prefer the Third Book overall. I suppose it would be pure luck if a more agreeable selection were ever chosen for a single recording.
After hearing more & more of the English lute song in a variety of contexts, it really was a quickly flowering style of high merit. In many ways, Dowland's position within it is merely "honorary," as several songs even by anonymous authors are comparable. Dowland continues to be very widely recorded, partly due to the simplicity of his songs, and of course I frequently prefer a more complicated contrapuntal style.
This is a classic performance, and in fact I still find it definitive. This is the full potential for this repertory, and a must-hear. There are now multiple recent recordings which also have comparable merits, as well as some new strengths, but the basic sound of the voices here and the freshness of making this cycle continue to make the present selection preferable overall. I don't think the Consort of Musicke has ever been better than when recording their Dowland cycle.
Todd M. McComb