Although little is known about the Italian composer and violinist Giovanni Battista Marella, it is known that in 1750 he became concertmaster of the Band of Musick at the New Gardens in Dublin and later went to London. Here he worked as a teacher of guitar and viola d'amore and as a violinist and composer. In 1762 "Compositions for the Cetra or Guittar with an Accompanyment" was published and it is from this collection that the present selection was made.