This Naxos recording explores the long and artistically fruitful friendship between the composer and the musical Ceccanti family. The first presented primarily early works, but these works date from his more mature period. The music is no less masterfully constructed or less concerned with emotional drama, but here the purpose to shock is no longer apparent. Two of the works even date from after Maxwell Davies was named Master of the Queen's Music, an establishment title if ever there was one.