Minuet from the Downland Suite

John Ireland is one of those composers who to some extent became slightly forgotten but is now gaining recognition once again.
Whilst his music is very definitely English, the Downland Suite and in particular the Minuet present a quintessentially English country image redolent of the gentle downland landscape of the southern countryside.
Originally composed for brass band it was later arranged for string orchestra which is probably how it most usually heard.
I have transcribed this version to organ using a piano score. The only real difficulties lie in trying to get the phrasing and expression of an orchestral string arrangement to sound as convincing as possible.
All in all, a lovely piece which has long been a favourite of mine.
I don't believe that this movement has been transcribed for organ previously, however there is an organ transcription of the Elegy from the same suite by Alec Rowley.
Played on the pre release Father Willis 1894 instrument it uses the swell strings and flutes together with the Violin Diapason and flutes of the Choir organ coupled to a simple pedal Bourdon on the pedal. In the second section the Choir Corno di Bassetto is used to play the melody in a short passage.