John Stanley (1713-1786), blind from the age of three, was a pupil of Maurice Greene (1694-1775) and, like his teacher, became master of the King’s Band of Music (from 1779) all organist of the Chapel Royal (from 1782). He was also closely associated with Handel, conducting performances of hisoratorios after Handel's death. Stanley’s six trumpet voluntaries, two each in his Opus 5, 6, and 7, are together with those of Boyce and Greene – among the latest examples of the genre and represent the culmination of virtuosity within it. (See Greene-Boyce, A Suite of Trumpet Voluntaries, published by The Brass Press.)

The first movement of the present suite was taken from Stanley's Op. 5, No.5; the second and third movements come from Op. 6, No.6. The trumpets are employed in the outer movements. In the first movement, the first trumpet dominates the opening and the closing ritornellos, the second trumpet accompanying; in the main part of the movement between bars 20 and 108, the organ is in the forefront, developingand ornamenting material derived from the opening trumpet ritornello. The middle movement serves as a point of repose before the vivacious final movement, in which both trumpets are of equal importance. Inthis third movement, as is usually the case with trumpet voluntaries, the organ always echoes the trumpets.

Performers should not be misled by the tempo markings, "Andante", to play this movement too slowly. It is actually a sparkling, showy finale.The Suite is published here in the original key of D.