Between 1728 and 1747 Handel composed these nine two-part movements for soprano and instrumental bass. Though speculation exists, the occasion for which the pieces were composed as well as the exact date of their compositionremain unknown.

The soprano sings short liturgical phrases such as “Amen”, “Allelujah”, “Alleluja, amen” or “Amen, alleluia”. The editor has supplied a text for the movement HWV 275, which until now has, for reasons unknown,been without text. The Amen and Hallelujah movem...