The tenor John Potter has been a Genesis fan since the 1970s, and there’s an audible dose of mutual fandom at the heart of this moody collection of lute songs old and new, plus the worthy breakdown of distinctions between “art song” and “pop song”. The disc mixes sumptuous Campion and Picforth originals with arrangements of Warlock and Moeran and rather earnest settings by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks. Potter sings with a straight, breathy voice, determined not to sound too classical. He’s well-matched in duets by Anna Maria Friman, who also provides gentle drones on Hardanger fiddle. Lutists Ariel Abramovich and Jacob Heringman strum pliantly. Best of the new numbers is Sting’s Bury Me Deep in the Greenwood, originally intended for the 2010 film Robin Hood but premiered only now. It’s full of those twisting melodies and tugging rhythms that make Sting such a phenomenal songwriter.
• This article was amended on 10 July 2015. An earlier version said Sting’s Bury Me Deep in the Greenwood was “written for the 1991 film Robin Hood”.
