Voluntary in F

Matthew Locke (c. 1621 – August 1677) was born in Exeter and later trained in the choir of Exeter Cathedral, under Edward Gibbons, the brother of Orlando Gibbons. At the age of eighteen Locke travelled to the Netherlands, possibly converting to Roman Catholicism at the time.roque composer and music theorist.

In 1673 Locke's treatise on music theory, Melothesia, was published. The title page describes him as "Composer in Ordinary to His Majesty, and organist of her Majesty's chapel"—those monarchs being Charles II and Catherine of Braganza. Locke also served King Charles as Composer of the Wind Music ("music for the King's sackbutts and cornets"), and Composer for the Violins. (His successor in the latter office was Henry Purcell; Locke was a family friend and may have had an influence on the young composer).

His treatise, "Melothesia", contains these 7 voluntaries, which are the entire opus of Locke's surviving organ music. Each of the 7 are distinctive, showing the "intense" ornamentation and rich harmonies.

This richly beautiful work appears in the Fitzwilliam Collection at Cambridge, and really does COMPLETE the "previously complete" group of Seven Voluntaries.

I received this from our Locke-Loving member, "Dabchurch." THANK YOU, David!

I hope Gordon Phillips would approve... ;-)

The registration is simple, so as not to obscure the involved ornaments and expressive counterpoint. Only the 2nd & 3rd Open Diapasons of the Great are used, along with the Stopped Diapason, which "rounds out" the tone just a bit.

The score is attached below, as well as an image of Matthew Locke, a page from one of his original compositions, and a photo of the magnificent organ at Exeter cathedral, the case from which dates from 1665.