Four of the best John Dowland recordings
We recommend some of the greatest Dowland recordings on disc

Dowland: The Collected Works
The Consort of Musicke/Rooley
Decca E452 5632
A one-stop shop for Dowland’s major works in 12 authoritative discs.
Complete Lute Music
Nigel North (Lute)
Naxos 8.504016
Supple, sensitive and warmly recorded, North’s artful set is a steal at budget price.
Lachrimae
The Parley of Instruments
Helios CDA55339
The Parley of Instruments performs Lachrimae as a violin consort, giving the work a brighter edge.
Lute Songs
Mark Padmore (tenor), Elizabeth Kenny (lute), Craig Ogden (guitar)
Hyperion CDA67648
Mark Padmore’s judicious anthology comes with the added bonus of Britten’s guitar tribute to Dowland.
Authors

Freya Parr is BBC Music Magazine's Digital Editor and Staff Writer. She has also written for titles including the Guardian, Circus Journal, Frankie and Suitcase Magazine, and runs The Noiseletter, a fortnightly arts and culture publication. Freya's main areas of interest and research lie in 20th-century and contemporary music.