The result is pure joy; that is to say, didacticism takes a back seat in favour of sometimes bawdy entertainment – though naturally the composers featured, who range from the early Baroque (Orazio Vecchi) through Stradella, Vivaldi and Handel to the late classical (Domenico Cimarosa) are honoured with performances as learned as they are laugh-inducing.

Well, not always: there’s some sober stuff here too, such as Handel’s ubiquitous Lascia la spina, ravishingly performed by soprano Lucía Martín-Cartón. But what really binds these performances are their sheer stylishness and exuberance. As one would expect from this seasoned orchestra and their indefatigable conductor – but not necessarily from the six youthful singers who prove themselves more than equal to the task.