This album now rates as my favorite from among the lute music offerings readily available from commericial sources in the US. Ronn MacFarlane plays enthusiastically and dynamically, and the great affinity he seems to have for the songs is readily transmitted through the recording. There is nothing monotonous here: each rendition sparkles. Here is an album you can listen to again and again, eagerly anticipating every listen. Ronn McFarlane is great. Id heard his two Scottish lute CDs, which are wonderful, and The Renaissance Lute is also terrific. McFarlane plays with great sensitivity and touch--bringing out the quiet, reflective nature of the music and also its liveliness--the music is relaxing and lovely. With one hand seemingly made of silk and the other seemingly made of velvet, Grammy-nominated American lutenist, Ronn McFarlane, brings to life music of the Renaissance era in this unique recording. The sound of the lute is sweet but a little sad, strong and independent yet strangely personal, giving the listener chills up and down the spine as both body and brain bask in the beautiful baroque barytones. With a mettlesome and magical performance, McFarlane exploits the mystique of the medieval music through masterful manipulation of the lute. Sometimes like floating on air and others like floating on water, the notes from the lute are both crisp falling like snowflakes and lush like a vivid dream. With panache and aplomb, McFarlane engages the listener in the mysteries of the Renaissance period and the lyrical music that typified its unique milieu.