"This authoritative work, the first on its subject, traces a line of musical development from about 1400 up to 1837. The roots of the early organ tradition lay in the exuberant ritual of the medieval church, and in particular in the Chapel Royal. The tradition grew, and flourished, in the golden age of the Renaissance, in the hands of four composers Byrd, Bull, Gibbons and Tomkins. During the 18th century, it evolved into something new--the Voluntary--reaching its apogee in the work of Samuel Wesley. The death of this great composer, in 1837, marks not only the end of the organ tradition, but also the end of an epoch in British music as a whole. For by this time the long years of musical sterility, which marked Victorian England, and which were destined to extend beyond the end of the century, had begun. This book examines the evolution of the music written for the organ throughout the period, and the technical aspects of the development of the instrument, as they have a bearing on the work and style of the composers who wrote for it, are summarized at the end of each chapter. It lists the complete extant repertoire, together with biographical notes on the composers, and the appendices include lists and descriptions of 126 manuscript sources, 212 printed editions, and three select bibliographies."--Dust jacket.