ABSTRACT
The inclusion of independent writing in a range of different sacred pieces copied by Blow and Gostling is undoubtedly an important factor in establishing the relationship between the music notated in organ books and what organists would have included in their accompaniments. One of Spink's observations about Restoration organ books is that they include markings identifying choruses, verses, and sections for cantoris and for decani. The fact that people can find adapted doublings or independent material in a wide range of different contexts, covering different genres, different sections within genres, indicates that notated parts were probably played in most accompaniments regardless of the type of sacred music being played. The marked differences of style and especially texture between a service setting and a full anthem clearly require to consider the possibility that distinct accompaniment styles might have been used for each genre.
