Voluntary in C major

This short work by the 18th-century English composer William Boyce is in 2 movements - Largo and Fugue (moderato).

Yesterday I reached a certain milestone in life, so perhaps it's not surprising that I'm in a reflective mood. 40 years ago, aged 20, I was a young enthusiastic beginning parish church organist in my first year of formal organ instruction. My piano studies commenced at age 7, but my organ playing from age 15 was initially self-acquired of necessity as no organ teacher willing to take a beginner was available in my home town at that time. That situation changed for me in 1975 when I summoned the courage to approach the new cathedral organist who had come to the town the previous year, and found that he was not only willing to teach beginners but that he was immensely patient and supportive. In hindsight I wish I'd approached him a year earlier. It's no exaggeration to say that this man changed my life.

On finding myself seated at the organ in my local church filling in at services - on odd occasions from late 1972 onwards, fortnightly from April 1974 and weekly from August 1974 - I found myself in need of easy but appealing organ music to play before and after the services. The numerous publications edited by C. H. Trevor quickly filled the void. These wonderful volumes allowed me to inject interest and variety into services with a minimum of effort each week, while at the same time working - well away from the congregation's ears - to master more demanding pieces for weekly organ lessons.

This short work comes from Book 1 of Trevor's 6-part series of "Old English Organ Music for Manuals, published by Oxford University Press in 1966. My copy was purchased early in 1975, and the markings on the score indicate that I played this work twice at services that year - on 9th March and 26th September. Here then is a quick taste of what I'd have played prior to a service back then.