George Frideric Handel - Air (from Water Music) - Ben Bloor

Air (from Water Music) by George Frideric Handel, arranged by Christopher Morris performed by Ben Bloor on the 45 stop 1954 Downes/Walker organ of the London Oratory Church on Tuesday 2nd July 2024.
Handel's 'Water Music' consists of three suites and is scored for a relatively (for the time) large orchestra. This reason for this owes to the purpose of its composition, which was to accompany King George I of England's trip down the Thames River from his Palace at Whitehall to Chelsea. He took this journey more than once, but the Water Music was heard first at 8pm on 17th July 1717. The King travelled on one barge, and the sizeable orchestra travelled nearby on another vessel, which must have provided quite a sight for any spectators.
The 'Air' is from the first suite in F major. Its famous reputation the world over as recognisable 'background music' undersells its simple beauty and economic compositional style.
Ben Bloor is Organist at the London Oratory Church and School Organist at Westminster School. For more information, please visit www.benbloor.com
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[@mspg2]

one of many wonderful pieces of music written by Handel - thanks for playing this Ben.

[@grahamtwist]

There can never be too much 'simple beauty' in this world and your performance adds to such treasure with this wonderful recording on the magnificent Downes/Walker Organ: bravo, Ben! (You may remember my lengthy response - ! - to your 'Hornpipe' recording a few months ago and the importance of woodwind instruments as the sound from them travels better over water . . . )

[@johnspeller3666]

In the days that BBC Radio 4 went off the air from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, this was the first thing listeners heard in the morning, followed by the Greenwich Time Signal. Well over half-a-century ago!

[@heidibriem8086]

Great playing as always! but Tell me, why are so many Organist playing in socks?