In the Round

Leveret recorded their first album in a day. In the Round makes that seem extravagant – it was recorded in one part of an evening, at a concert in a church on May 20 2015. Each of the trio – Sam Sweeney (fiddle), Andy Cutting (melodeon) and Rob Harbron (English concertina) – is an amazing musician in his own right, but what gives their instrumentals zest is that they don’t assign parts or formalise arrangements. They play, listening and responding to each other.

Their repertoire, augmented by some tunes of their own, is gathered from old books with wonderful titles such as An Extraordinary Collection of Pleasant and Merry Humours (1715) and Two Hundred and Fifty Welsh Airs for a Shilling (1859). First they explore these musical treasuries, then, in performance, they examine the gems that have caught their attention, revealing the beauties of these jigs, waltzes and hymn tunes. In the Round rewards attentive listening. Leveret discover intricacies of theme, rhythm and line, and it is akin to hearing classical chamber music. You might not wish to listen to all 14 tunes in one go, but this is an alluring album, one to return to again and again.