J. S. Bach wrote a great many pieces during his lifetime, most of them for use in the church. From time to time he did write some solo keyboard works for clavier or harpsichord. Among them are the two English Suites, written in an attempt to assume the style of the English baroque composers, of whom Handel is the best known. Most musicologists would probably say that what Bach acheived is more in the French style of the time, but that does not make the pieces any less interesting.

There are two bourrees in the second English Suite, and we have chosen to present the livelier second bourree ("boo-RAY").

This piece could be performed by a flute trio by omitting the third flute part.

Download the optional alto flute part that can substitute for FLUTE 4.

Same piece for two flutes and cello, brass quintet, violin, viola, and cello, or saxohpone quintet.

MP3 sound sample: entire piece (synthesizer/midi).



BOURREE by J. S. Bach, arranged by Tom Kirkland for flute quartet, comes in a pdf file of 203K, with a four-page score, four one-page parts, and a license page, nine pages in all. Performance time should be about 1:45.