Antonio Vivaldi probably composed his famous Gloria in 1725. Although the exact circumstances of its origin remain a riddle, it was definitely conceived as a self-contained concert piece rather than as part of a complete setting of the  Mass.<br>
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The compositional fabric, the festive character of the outside movements, and the predominance of the strings in the middle movements make this masterpiece of Venetian sacred music a natural choice for an arrangement for solo voices, choir and organ. Rather than  imitating the  orchestral writing, Martin  Focke’s  arrangement offers  a self-contained version tailor-made for  this combination of instruments, thereby making a pinnacle of European church  music accessible  to the often more modest resources of today’s churches.<br>