The Brook Street Band takes its name from the London street where Handel lived for more than a quarter of a century. They've already recorded the composer's Op. 2 and Op. 5 trio sonatas with a mixture of wind and strings. Here they round up another bunch – seven in all – for two violins and continuo. They include a version of the overture to the oratorio Esther, and a trio sonata that shares material with another oratorio, Saul. Such borrowings or cross- fertilisations were normal for Handel, and can be traced throughout the disc. So don't be surprised if you spot familiar vocal lines in somewhere along the line. The playing of these works, which span the breadth of Handel's career, is both lively and affecting. avie-records.com