'The Gorgeous Georgians'
Sunday 2 August - The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
John Alcock senior (1715-1806)
A former chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Alcock became a pupil of John Stanley at the age of 14. He was organist in Plymouth (1737), Reading (1742) and organist, master of the choristers and lay vicar of Lichfield Cathedral (1750). Resigning from Lichfield, he became organist at Sutton Coldfield (1761-86) and Tamworth (1766-90). He generously handed over to Greene materials which he had collected for his own ‘Cathedral Music’ project.
Voluntary 5 – John Alcock senior
The second movement of Alcock’s voluntary is registered precisely: ‘Stopt Diapason and Flute, in the Choir Organ, or Echo’ with ‘Sexquialtra and Diapsons’ in the bass. This combination was used as a kind of bass Cornet, and was used extensively in Restoration Double Voluntaries.
Two diapason movements – John Alcock senior
These two movements would have led into faster second movements.
John Worgan (1724-1790)
Worgan, a pupil of Thomas Roseingrave, was organist of St. Katherine Cree (1743-c.1753), St. Andrew Undershaft (1749-1790) and St. Botolph Aldgate (1753-1790). In 1751, he succeeded his brother James as organist at Vauxhall Gardens. Martin Madan in a song wrote: ‘Let Handel or Worgan go thresh at the organ’. On 29th September 1765, he gave the opening recital on John Byfield’s newly-completed organ at St. Mary Rotherhithe.
Short Voluntary – John Worgan
Sunday 9 August - The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Starling Goodwin (d.1774)
Goodwin was organist of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey (1738-74) and St. Saviour, Southwark, (1750-74). His works were published posthumously, including ‘The Organist’s Pocket Companion’, a collection of exuberant ‘givings out’ and interludes to the hymn-tunes of the period.
Cornet Voluntary – Starling Goodwin
A standard cornet movement of the period.
Interludes -Starling Goodwin
Short pieces to be played between the verses of hymns.
Voluntary no.12 in G major – Starling Goodwin
The first movement is a grand Largo alternating between full Great and the Vox Humana. This leads into a sprightly second movement.
Sunday 16 August - The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
William Walond (1725-1770)
Walond, an organist at Oxford, composed in 1758 a setting of Pope's 'Ode on St. Cecilia's Day', believed to be the first setting of this poem in its original form. Three sets of organ voluntaries by him were published.
Cornet Voluntary in E (Op.2 no.1) – William Walond
Published in 1758 as the first of 'Ten Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord'.
Diapason movement in D minor – William Walond
Cornet Voluntary in G – William Walond
Sunday 23 August - The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Charles Burney (1726-1814)
Born at Shrewsbury, Burney studied in Chester, Shrewsbury and later in London under Thomas Arne. In 1749 he was elected organist of St. Dionis Backchurch. Suffering from tuberculosis, he moved for the sake of his health to King's Lynn in Norfolk in 1751 as organist of the parish church. Here he laid the foundations for his great work as music historian. He returned to London fully recovered nine years later. Travelling extensively throughout Europe, he published the first volume of his 'General History of Music' in 1776. For the last 25 years of his life, he was organist of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, where he was buried.
Cornet pieces – Charles Burney
Burney's volume of 'VI Cornet Pieces with an Introduction for the Diapasons and a Fugue, proper for young Organists and Practitioners on the Harpsichord' was published by John Walsh. All of the organ music played today is taken from this publication. The Cornet pieces are single movements only.
Introduction – Charles Burney
Fugue – Charles Burney
Sunday 30 August - The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Thomas Sanders Dupuis (1733-96)
Born in London of an old Huguenot family, Dupuis was a chorister of the Chapel Royal, later becoming a pupil of John Travers. Organist of the Charlotte Street Chapel, near Buckingham Palace, he succeeded William Boyce as organist at the Chapel Royal in 1779. He died from an overdose of opium at his house in King's Row, Park Lane, and is buried in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey.
Trumpet Voluntary – Thomas Sanders Dupuis
Like many trumpet voluntaries of the period, this one uses echo effects between Great and Swell.
Voluntary no.6 (diapason movement) – John Bennett
The first movement of a larger voluntary.
Fugue in E minor – Thomas Sanders Dupuis
Sunday 6 September - The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
John Bennett (1735-1796)
Organist of St. Dionis Backchurch 1752, in succession to Charles Burney. His set of 'Ten Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord' was published privately in 1758. A long and distinguished list of 228 subscribers included Handel.
Voluntary no.5 in A – John Bennett
A two-movement work, opening with an Adagio for the Great diapasons. The Allegro which follows it is precisely registered 'Diapasons, Principal, Teirc, 12th and 15th for Forte, Stop'd Diapason and Principal for Piano'.
Voluntary 1 (diapason movement) – John Bennett
The first movement of a larger voluntary.
Voluntary 8 – John Bennett
After the customary slow diapason movement, the fugue which follows introduces a faster semiquaver section in the middle, which later incorporates the fugue subject. By analogy to similar pieces, this middle section, although unmarked, was probably played on the Choir, returning to the Great for the final section.
Sunday 13 September - The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Philip Hayes (1738-1797)
Son of William Hayes, Philip Hayes was a chorister in the Chapel Royal. Organist at Oxford of Christ Church (1763-65), New College (1776), and Magdalen College (1777), he succeeded his father as Professor of Music at Oxford in 1777. Reputed to be the fattest man in England, he acquired the nickname of 'Phil Chaise'.
Pastorale – Philip Hayes
With a drone bass, similar to shepherds' bagpipes, this movement is an extract from one of Hayes' concertos.
Jonathan Battishill (1738-1801)
Battishill, a chorister at St. Paul's and later deputy organist to William Boyce at the Chapel Royal, was organist concurrently of St. Clement Eastcheap (1765) and Christ Church Newgate Street (1767) until his death.
Air – Jonathan Battishill
A short Andante for diapasons.
Voluntary in B flat – Jonathan Battishill
This is a single movement for full Great, with echoes on the Swell.
Sunday 20 September - The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
William Goodwin (d.1784)
Possibly the son of Starling Goodwin, he was organist of St. George the Martyr, Southwark, from before 1764 until his appointment to St. Bartholomew by the Exchange from 1766 until his death. He succeeded Starling Goodwin at St. Saviour, Southwark, in 1774. He also appeared to have been organist of St. Mary Newington. He is buried at St. Saviour's (now Southwark Cathedral).
Trumpet Voluntary – William Goodwin
The usual two-movement form, using the Great Trumpet and the echo trumpet on the Swell.
Voluntary 7 – William Goodwin
A one-movement voluntary contrasting Full Great with echoes on the Swell. The opening chords are similar to the opening of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus!
Diapason movement in G minor – William Goodwin
The first movement of a larger voluntary.
Voluntary 8 – William Goodwin
A prelude and fugue for Full Organ.
Sunday 27 September - The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Samuel Long (d. 1764)
A chorister of St. Paul's Cathedral under Charles King, Long was appointed organist of St. Peter le Poer, Broad Street, about 1745, and kept this appointment until his death in 1764. He was buried in St. Andrew Holborn. Four Lessons and two Voluntarys for the Harpsichord or Organ were published posthumously for his widow Sarah.
Voluntary no.1 – Samuel Long
A prelude and fugue for Full Organ.
Air and variations – Samuel Long
A movement from Lesson no.1 for harpsichord.
Voluntary no.2 – Samuel Long
Another prelude and fugue for Full Organ.