William Babell (1690-1723) was a talented keyboard player whose early death robbed England of one of its most promising musicians. He was the author of The Harpsichord Master Improved and other pedagogical works. From 1718 until to his death he was organist of the Church of All Hallows, Bread Street, in London.



The organ at All Hallows was built as a two-manual instrument by Christopher Shrider in 1717, and a third (Swell) manual was added by the original builder in 1722.



Although it is found in a collection of harpsichord music, this Fantasy has all the appearances of a piece of organ music with its long held notes in the left hand, and the remarkable similarity of the top of the third page to the first of the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (sometimes attributed to J. S. Bach but probably written by J. T. Krebs). I have arranged it accordingly as a Fantasy for Double Organ



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All Hallows, Bread Street, where John Stanley succeeded William Babell as organist on the former's death in 1723 .