It was in 1581, in his late twenties, that Robert Dow began to write out all his favourite music into five partbooks – designed for his dinner guests to sing and play from, as they enjoyed his wine and his company. In his near-immaculately copied-out manuscripts Dow chooses to focus right at the beginning of each on two key aspects of life: wine and music – “Vinum et Musica Lætificant Corda” – “Wine and Music Make Hearts Rejoice”, as he inscribed with emphatic initial capitals at the beginning of each partbook! Album available from Hyperion: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_1EMVEM and Bandcamp: https://abc.tonusperegrinus.co.uk/album/vinum-et-musica