During his Italian journey of 1706-10, Handel was widely acclaimed as "Il caro Sassone" ("the dear Saxon"), as he absorbed the Italian style in his cantatas, liturgical works and operas, then claimed it as his own. The radiant young British soprano Lucy Crowe focuses on both sacred and secular works from this period, including two solo canatas, Alpestre monte and Armida abbandonata, and a Salve Regina. She has added lucsious chest tones to her bright soprano in recent seasons, and consistently delights in Handel's gloriously youthful music, which includes an early variant of the famous aria from Rinaldo, Lascia ch'io pianga. Bicket's English Concert supplies luxury, stlish accompaniments.