Along with his countrymen Alfred Deller and James Bowman, he led the revival of countertenor singing in modern times.
His professional debut was in a performance of Handel's Messiah for Angel Records, conducted by Charles Mackerras (1967).
Esswood has participated in over 150 recordings, including the alto parts of many Bach cantatas in the complete Teldec series by conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt.
He has recorded Messiah four times, as well as extended works by Henry Purcell, Claudio Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli, Marc-Antoine Charpentier and others.
Paul Esswood is a co-founder of Pro Cantione Antiqua, an all-male a cappella group specializing in early music.