Vesper voluntaries (Introduction and voluntaries n°1,2,3,5,7)

Introduction 0:00
Voluntary 1 1:36
Voluntary 2 3:07
Voluntary 3 5:26
Voluntary 5 7:35
Voluntary 7 9:40

Elgar wrote his Vesper Voluntaries in 1891, when he was 34 and after having been organist at St George church in Worcester.

They are short and very singing miniatures whose melodies are easy to catch. I discovered them used as interludes in a LP of Elgar's choral music.

The complete book encompasses an introduction, eight voluntaries, a very short intermezzo and a short conclusion. Here, there is only the introduction and my favourite five voluntaries (4,6 and 8 are omitted). This was the opportunity to use Salisbury's Solo division's flûtes harmoniques, strings and clarinette.

It's a music I like much when listening but I felt quite "uneasy" and clumsy while playing and recording it. But never mind, what's done is done....