FLYING high since completing their superb recordings of Byrd’s entire choral music, Andrew Carwood and The Cardinall’s Musick predictably drew a full house to their Renaissance programme devoted to the Three Kings.

But the eight singers – nine counting Carwood’s occasional tenor contributions – sounded keenly aware that you are only as good as your last performance. For on this form their “live” prowess far transcends anything available on disc.

Their first half was Spanish. Post-interval they ranged elsewhere in Europe. Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, though born in Spain, became the most important composer in 17th century Mexico, where he ran the music at Puebla cathedral for 35 years.

His double choir mass Ego Flos Campi, interwoven here with Victoria motets, is extraordinary, pitching one choir in more or less block chords into battle with the other, which sings in the more usual imitative style. Never forcing the tone, the group kept it clean, sounding as if three times its actual number.

Victoria’s four-voice Magi Viderunt Stellam was a model of limpidity, exquisitely etched. This effortless style continued into most of Byrd’s Epiphany motets, with altos on the top line; only Surge, Illuminare sounded hectic.

Palestrina’s sumptuous treatment of the same text – this time complete – assumed almost symphonic proportions, its sections clearly differentiated.

The real miracle was Jacob Handl’s notorious Mirabile Misterium (1586). Its wild harmonies are still crazily avant garde. It was succulently, impeccably, tuned. Breathtaking.

• York Early Music Christmas Festival: The Cardinall’s Musick. The Chapter House, York Minster, Thursday.

• The festival goes on until December 10, box office on 01904 658338