On this 33 rpm record of two odes composed by Purcell in homage to Queen Mary, the natural rhythmic and gently expressive qualities in the artistry of Gardiner beguile the listener, while in the Funeral Sentences he achieves a completely dazzling delicacy of balance and lightness of touch. Considered back in the 1970s as one of the best, the polyphony of the Monteverdi Choir too retains a serenely luminous clarity.