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The American countertenor David ­Daniels has developed a ­reputation and a repertoire far beyond the ­specialised world of the baroque that most of his colleagues administer to. In his Wigmore recital, he spent half his ­programme singing music from the 19th and early-20th centuries, a time when the countertenor voice was rarely ­encountered outside the confines of ­cathedral choirs.

In many ways, Daniels has justified his move beyond early-music purism with ease. His tone has always appealed because of its warmth and beauty, more like a mid-scale female mezzo in quality than others of its type, and devoid of any hint of the dreaded hoot. The only minor blemishes occurred when Daniels reached down to his lowest notes and the vocal registers did not quite match.

His good diction was a valuable asset throughout, including in an opening Brahms group that benefited, as did the entire programme, from the dynamic and deep-toned pianism of Martin Katz, one of the finest accompanists around today. A clutch of fragrant songs by the minor French master Reynaldo Hahn also showed how well this sophisticated salon repertoire suits Daniels’s basic set of tonal colours.

There were moments, however, when he looked less than relaxed. Two Handel arias, Cara Sposa from Rinaldo and ­Perfido from Radamisto, felt tense, despite the singer’s ­convincing skill in delivery. Elsewhere, words were ­muddled on occasion. Katz had to prompt Daniels once.

Yet the singer had the capacity ­audience on his side from start to finish, and gave excellent value in some of the antique arias by Caccini and Durante that all vocal students learn, as well as in a fine group of English songs, including moving accounts of Elgar’s Where Corals Lie and Howells’s King David.