The British Musical Biography

[E] Purcell, Henry, organist and composer,
was born in St. Ann's Lane, Old Pye Street,
Westminster, London, in 1658. Second son
of Henry Pdrcell, the elder. He studied as a
chorister in the Chapel Royal, under Cooke
and HumiDhrey, 16G4, and under Blow.
Copyist in Westminster Abbey, 1676-78; Or-
ganist of Westminster Abbey, 1680. Organist
of Chapel Royal, 1682. Composer in Ordinary
to the King, 1683. He died at Westminster,
London, November 21, 1695, and is buried in
Westminster Abbey. In 1895 various com-
memorative concerts, etc., were given in
London on the centenary of his death.

[W] Works. — Dramatic music : Epsom Wells
(Shadwell), 1676 ; Aurenge-Zebe (Dryden),
1676; The Libertine (Shadwell), 1676; Abde-
lazor (Behn), 1677 ; Timon of Athens (Shaks-
pere), 1678; The virtuous wife (D'Urfey),
1680; Theodosius (Lee), 1680; Dido and
.^neas (Tate), 1680 [published by the Musical
Antiquarian Society, 1840]; Circe, 1685;
Tyrannic love (Dryden), 1686; A fool's prefer-
ment (D'Urfey), 1688; The Tempest (Shaks-
pere), 1690; Dioclesian, 1690; Massacre of
Paris (Lee), 1690; Amphitryon, 1690; Di.-,-
tressed innocence (Settle), 1691 ; King Arthur
(Dryden), 1691 [published by the Musical An-
tiquarian Society, 184.3] ; The Gordian knot
untyed, 1691 ; Sir Anthony Low (Southerne),
1691 ; The fairy queen (Shakspere's Mid-
summer Night's Dream), 1692; The wife's
excuse (Southerne), 1692; The Indian queen
(Dryden), 1692 ; The Indian Emperour (Dry-
den), 1692; CEdipus, 1692; Cleomenes, 1692 ;
The marriage-hater match'd (D'Urfey), 1692;
The old bachelor (Congreve), 1693 ; The Rich-
mond heiress (D'Urfey), 1693 ; The maid's
last prayer (Southerne), 1693 ; Henry the
Second (Bancroft), 1693 : Don Quixote (D'Ur-
fey), 1694-95 ; The married beau (Crowne),
1694; The Double dealer (Congreve), 1694;
The fatal marriage (Southerne), 1694; Love
triumphant (Dryden), 1694 ; The Canterbury
guests (Ravenscroft), 1695 ; The mock mar-
riage (Scott), 1695 ; The rival sisters (Gould),
1695; Oroonoko (Southerne), 1695; The
knight of Malta (Beaumont and Fletcher),
1695 ; Bonduca (Beaumont and Fletcher),
1695. Odes and large Vocal Works : Elegy on
death of Matthew Locke, 1677 ; A Welcome
Song for His Royal Highness' return from
Scotland, 1680 ; A song to welcome His
INIajesty home from Windsor, 1680 ; Swifter,
Isis, swifter flow (ode), 1681 ; Ode for the
King on his return from Newmarket, 1682 ;
Three odesfor St. Cecilia's Day, 1683; From
Hardy climes and dangerous toils of War,
ode on marriage of Prince George of Den-
mark with Princess Anne, 1683 ; Welcome to
all the Pleasures, ode, published, 1684 ; Why
are all the Muses mute ? ode for James I. ;
Ye tuneful Muses, ode, 1686 ; Sound the
trumpet, beat the drum, ode, 1687 ; Celestial
Music, 1689 ; The Yorkshire feast song, D'Ur-
fery, 1689 [reprinted by the Purcell Society,
edited by \V. H. Cummings, 1878]; Arise,
my Muse, ode for the Queen's birthday, 1689 ;
Sound the trumpet, ode, 1689 ; Welcome,
glorious morn. Birthday ode, 1691 ; Love's
Goddess sure was blind, ode, 1692; Hail!
great Cecilia, ode, 1692 ; Celebrate this festival,
1693; Come, come, ye sons of art, ode, 1694;
Who can from joy refrain, ode, 1695. Church
Music : Purcell's Sacred Music, edited by
Vincent Novello, London, 6 vols. [1829-32],
contains most of the master's church music,
with portrait and biography, including the
Te Deum and Jubilate in D (1694). Other
collections in which his church music will be
found are Boyce's ; Tudway's ; Smith's Har-
monica Sacra ; Page's Harmonia Sacra ; and
in neatly every other important general
selection. The names of the anthems in cur-
rent use in our churches and cathedrals will
be found in Novello's catalogue of sacred
niusic. Instrumental music : Three sonatas,
for two violins, violoncello, and basso-con-
tinuo, London, 4 vols., 1683. Lessons for
the harpsichord or spinnet, London, 1696.
Ten sonatas, in four parts, 1st and 2nd violins,
bassus and organ, London, 4 vols., 1697.
Collection of Ayres compos'd for the Theatre,
and on other occasions, London, 1697. Or-
pheus Britannicus : a collection of the choicest
songs, for 1, 2, and 3 voices, with such
Symphonies for violins or flutes as were by
him designed for any of them, and a thorough-
bass to each song figured for tlie organ, harp-
sichord, or theorbo-lute, .book I., London,
16'J8, with portrait engraved by Wliite. Book
II., 1702; second edition (enlarged), 2 vols.,
170G-1711, third edition, 1721. The Catch
Club, or Merry Companion. By Purcell,
Blow, etc., 2 books, n.d. "The art of Des-
cant," contributed to the 10th edition of
Playford's "Introduction to the skill of
Musick," 1683. SelectionsfroniPurcelVs works:
The beauties of Purcell : a selection of the
favourite songs, duets, trios and choruses from
his different works, arranged with pf. accom-
paniments by Dr. John Clarke, 2 vols., n.d.
Beauties of Purcell. .edited by Joseph Corfe,
n.d. The words of Henry Purcell's Vocal
Music, n.d. (privately printed). A selection
of his Harpsichord pieces has been edited by
Herr Ernst Pauer (Augener, London).

entry id: 331-L-30