John Collins has been organist at St. George’s, Worthing for over 28 years. Special interests include the Iberian, Italian and English keyboard repertoires from ca1500-1800 in which areas he gives recitals and undertakes research and lectures for the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Organists. He has published many articles and reviews in English, American and European Journals and ahs assisted David Patrick of Fitzjohn Music in editing and publishing many of the English 18th century Voluntaries.

Giovanni Gabrieli was organist at St. Mark’s, Venice and is far better known today for his splendid choral and instrumental music. Towards the end of the 16th century he published a collected edition of his uncle Andrea’s keyboard works to which he added a few of his own compositions including the Ricercar on the 10th Tone. The Toccata was included in a collection published in 1593 by Diruta in his treatise on the art of playing the organ. Other pieces survive in various MSS collections.

John Stanley was blinded in an accident at the age of two, which did not prevent him becoming organist of St. Andrew’s Holborn and subsequently of the Temple Church. In addition to pieces for flute or violin and harpsichord, and two sets of keyboard concerti he published three sets of organ voluntaries; most were in two movements, a slow introduction being followed by a lively movement for one of the solo stops or a fugue for full organ. The pieces played here include one for the Cornet, and one for the Trumpet and its echo.

William Goodwin was organist of St. Bartholomew, Royal Exchange and published a set of 12 voluntaries. This example has the slow introduction followed by a movement for the Flute or Cornet, here played on the Flute stop which was at 4ft pitch and accompanied by itself.

Juan Baptista Cabanilles was organist of Valencia cathedral and regarded as the greatest Spanish keyboard player and composer of the time. His pupils copied out well over 200 large-scale pieces, the Falsas being a slow piece with suspensions and dissonances intended for the Elevation of the Host at the Communion. The second piece has the solo in the right hand and is in two sections, the second being in triple time and showing the extreme rhythmic complexity much used by the Iberians.

Handel left three sets of Water Musick for royal water parties, the three pieces played here being from the second set in D, possibly dating from ca July 1717. An edition for keyboard was published ca 1743