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To Henry Burgess (1718–1786), belongs the credit of being the first English composer to commit to print a set of concertos for a keyboard instrument (organ or harpsichord), in the wake of Handel’s Op. 4 set, published in 1738. This fact has been recognized for a long time, but, strangely enough, until recently there has been no detailed investigation of the composer’s life and music. Even more surprising, in view of the originality, variety of expression and sheer enjoyability of Burgess’s concertos, is the lack of modern editions of them. This void now being filled brings into the public arena music that is eminently practical: relatively simple to play albeit brilliant in effect, and performable with or without accompanying orchestra (in the second case with or without a separate continuo player), and with a choice of organ (manuals only) or harpsichord as solo instrument.
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