To meet his requirements for sacred music, Johann Sebastian Bach was left with little time to write secular works. This lack of time would explain the reason that his four Overtures or Suites were written over a long period, probably from 1717 to 1731. In the French style, they consist of an extended overture followed by a series of short movements, mainly in the character of a dance. This is delicate, refined and elegant music containing many of Bach’s most famous melodies, including the section popularly known as the ‘Air on the G String’.