Voluntary or "A Flight of Angels" (with and without Bow Bells)

George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727.] He was strongly influenced both by the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition and by composers of the Italian Baroque. In turn, Handel's music forms one of the peaks of the "high baroque" style, bringing Italian opera to its highest development, creating the genres of English oratorio and organ concerto, and introducing a new style into English church music. He is consistently recognized as one of the greatest composers of his age.

I believe that this delightful little work was originally written for a music box or musical clock, but it may have been a keyboard work first. It has a "double title" - "Voluntary" and/or "A Flight of Angels."

This nice version was done by Pierre Gouin.

I did two back-to-back performances in this upload. The first is without the Bow Bells, and the second is with the Bow Bells. The Bow Bells are a light and attractive zimbelstern.

The score is attached below, as well as a portrait of G. F. Handel, and a reproduction of his signature.

The times of the two performances are as follows:

Without Bow Bells: 0:00
With Bow Bells: 1:20