The use of voluntaries became common in some churches after about 1810, although in other churches (particularly those in rural locations) voluntaries were not played until much later in the century. The common complaint of too much showmanship, which had been levelled at the performance of interludes, was also carried over to voluntaries. Virtuosity was generally considered distracting to the tone of the service. In non-Episcopal (or less wealthy) churches, this problem would probably have occurred somewhat later in the century due to the later technical development of native players, but it
became a problem nonetheless.
