Noel number 10

Somewhat out of season, here is Noel 10 from the book of 12 Noels, which makes a good prelude for a Christmas carol service.

Daquin was a virtuoso harpsichordist and organist whose improvisations were the talk of Paris in the 1700s. The Noels are one of his only two published works.

I suspect that Daquin would have played the penultimate variation very fast to show off his technique, but I like to slow it down a little and savour the sound on a gentle flute.