VOLUNTARY. The name given to the pieces of organ-music played before, during, and after Divine Service; and possibly derived from the fact that from their not forming a part of the regular service, it was optional with the organist to play them or not. These took the form of highly embellished versions of Hymn-tunes, Diapason piece, Trumpet voluntary, Introduction and fugue, Cornet voluntary, with half-comic ‘ecchoes
’ on the ‘Swelling Organ.
’ The voluntary proper flourished chiefly between 1720 and...
