On Naxos…Steuart Bedford constantly gives the illusion of stage comedy rather than a studio recording. It helps that Christopher Gillett in the title-role has a clear, youthful-sounding tenor. As Lady Billows, Josephine Barstow, with rasp in the voice, is every bit as formidable as Sylvia Fisher was before, and Felicity Palmer is wonderfully characterful as her prim housekeeper, Florence Pike. The other village worthies are also strongly cast, with the love duet of Sid (Gerald Finley) and Nancy (An Taylor) tenderly touched in. What seals the set’s success is the way that in the ensembles Bedford such crispness, wittily lifting rhythms, making the music swagger. At the Naxos reissue price this is a phenomenal bargain and, like full-price sets, this one includes a full libretto.