Voluntaries

Here is present three works as arrangements/interpretations on John Stanley's voluntaries for solo organ as works for string orchestra (and solo violin(s)). 
I found these pieces in a youtube video with the score and immediatly saw the potential for arranging it as orchestral works.
 

Voluntary in G minor (op.5 no.7) in two movements. 

Video: Voluntary VII
Original Organ Version

Voluntary in D minor (op.5 no.8) in three movements as a concerto for two solo violins with strings accompaniament. (I especially like the outcome of the 2nd movement)

Video: Voluntary VIII
Original Organ Version

Voluntary in D minor (op.6 no.5) in three movements.

Video: Voluntary V
Original Organ Version

Hi Nazariy.

I have no prior knowledge of this works so as a suggestion, putting audios/videos of Stanley's original works would help non-connoisseurs to give more valuable feedback to you.  All three seem like wonderful renditions, though. I liked the one you did to the Voluntary VIII the most.

That said, they seem to lack expressiveness to me. Of course this is kind of unavoidable at times unless one has a personal orchestra at hand, but still I noticed that there's no phrasing neither any dynamics indicated for the strings —which is obviously not compulsory at all—. Perhaps this could add a bit more of life to the scores. Another thing I would think that could be worth considering would be increasing the prominence of the harpsichord in some sections. For a keyboard instrument that is commonly played with both hands (and thus it has at least two voices) and that offers a very wide amount of possibilities, and for the kind of pieces these are, practically doubling the bass voice throughout the whole piece seems a bit of a waste for the instrument, don't you think?

Kind regards,
Daniel–Ømicrón.

Hi @Nazariy,

For me I find the arrangements are very enjoyable. I'm not going to agree with my buddy @Omicronrg9 though (sorry Daniel...). I think the expressiveness is more a Baroque expressiveness. I feel like maybe the lack of slurs and dynamic marking is due to the Baroque style? I agree some more can be added but it's fine for me as a Baroque arrangement. Of course you would like to change it to a modern style piece it will be fine as well to use a more extended orchestra like what you did in your Symphony in E!

Another point is the harpsichord. I think Nazariy is trying to use the harpsichords as continuo, so it's perfectly fine to just copy the bassline in the score if figured bass is added for the harpsichordist to improvise a bit for both hands based on the figured bass. But if you want to be exact for the harpsichordist then you will have to write all those notes out since the program can't improvise haha! 

For me the tempo marking Andante Largo in the op.6 no.5, b.23 a bit strange. You can just use Adagio ma non tanto there as the marking between them?

My favourite one is the Voluntary VII since it's more succinct for me. For Voluntary V I feel like the tempo contrast is not big enough to be interesting even there is modal change, but this obviously is not your fault as an arranger.

Thanks for sharing your arrangement!

Henry

Thank you for your comments @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu @Omicronrg9
I understand what Daniel means with the lack of expresivity but my intention was more like what Henry said. For me, in this style, is more up to the interpretative process than the arranging, so I wrote only a very few expression indications stated by Stanley.
About the harpsichord... Actually, my intention was to leave a basso/continuo line and indicate when to play only cello solo and tutti, and not to introduce the harpsichord. I like the sonority it adds but, as Daniel said, now I also think that indicating it but for only doubling bassi is a waste (but now I'm not really interested in writing down all the part and I will leave it for the interpreter). Probably I will leave only one part as basso as I stated before.

Talking about the tempi, "Andante Largo" is supposed to be the original, this is why I wrote it, and I understand about the feeling of insufficient contrast. As an arranger I mostly tend to be more close to the original than to interpretate the score and give it a more personal outcome, but maybe it's something to work on.

Also, I will add the original versions of the works now in the original post.