Wesley, Charles - Pastorale

(The following description is by Agnus_Dei, who uploaded this fine piece on the Hereford organ.
Hope you don't mind me using it, Dave!)

Charles Wesley junior (11 December 1757 in Bristol – 23 May 1834 in London) was an English organist and composer.

He was the son of Sarah and Charles Wesley (the great hymn-writer and one of the founders of Methodism), and the brother of Samuel Wesley, also an organist and composer. He is usually referred to as "Charles Wesley junior" to avoid confusion with his more famous father. He never married, living for most of his life with his mother and sister.

Although Charles Wesley junior is much less well known than his brother Samuel Wesley, he was like Samuel regarded as a musical prodigy in childhood, and he was playing the organ before the age of three.

He became a professional musician in adulthood, and Matthews (1971) quotes the European Magazine of 1784 as reporting that "his performance on the organ has given supreme delight".

However he did not enjoy public performance, and worked mainly as a private organist, at one time to the Prince Regent; he was connected with the royal family through much of his life.

"Pastorale" (I'm not sure this is the actual title of the piece) is found in the "Old English Organ Music for Manuals," edited by C. H. Trevor.

Trevor was a well-known organist, having been Assistant Organist at Wells Cathedral, and a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

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The piece is played on the Groningen Noordbroek organ sampleset by Sonus Paradisi. This organ is very famous, built and worked on by three of the best organ builders of the various periods.

HW: Holpijp 8'
Rp: Fluit douce 8', Spitsfluit 4'
Manuals Coupled
Tremulant on the whole organ.