Henry Purcell

Lore & Background

Purcell was born in St Ann's Lane, Old Pye Street, Westminster, in 1659. After his father's death in 1664, the infant Henry was placed under the guardianship of his uncle Thomas, who showed him great affection and kindness. Thomas arranged for Henry to be admitted as a chorister and to study first under Captain Henry Cooke, Master of the Children, and afterwards under Cooke's successor Pelham Humfrey, who had been a pupil of Lully. The composer Matthew Locke was a family friend and probably also had a musical influence on the young Henry. When Henry's voice broke in 1673, he left his post as a chorister in the Chapel Royal and became an assistant to the organ-builder John Hingston, who held the post of keeper of wind instruments to the King. Purcell is said to have been composing at nine years old, but the earliest work that can be identified as his with certainty is an ode for the King's birthday, written in 1670, when he was eleven. After his teacher Humfrey's death, Purcell continued his studies under John Blow. In 1679, Blow resigned his office as organist of Westminster Abbey in favour of Purcell. Soon after Purcell's marriage in 1682, on the death of Edward Lowe, he was appointed organist of the Chapel Royal, an office he held simultaneously with his position at Westminster Abbey. His first printed composition, *Twelve Sonatas*, was published in 1683.

Reader's Guide

Purcell's chamber opera *Dido and Aeneas* forms a very important landmark in the history of English dramatic music. It was written to a libretto furnished by Nahum Tate and performed in 1689 in cooperation with Josias Priest, a dancing master and choreographer. It is occasionally considered the first genuine English opera, though that title is usually given to Blow's *Venus and Adonis*; in each work, the action does not progress in spoken dialogue but in Italian-style recitative. *Dido and Aeneas* never found its way to the theatre at the time, though it appears to have been very popular in private circles. The complete work remained in manuscript until 1840 when it was printed by the Musical Antiquarian Society under the editorship of Sir George Macfarren. In 1691, Purcell wrote the music for what is sometimes considered his dramatic masterpiece, *King Arthur, or The British Worthy*. In 1692, he composed *The Fairy-Queen* (an adaptation of Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night's Dream*), the score of which (his longest for theatre) was rediscovered in 1901 and published by the Purcell Society. In 1695, he wrote songs for Dryden and Davenant's version of Shakespeare's *The Tempest*, probably including 'Full fathom five' and 'Come unto these yellow sands'. Purcell's *Te Deum and Jubilate Deo* were written for Saint Cecilia's Day, 1694, the first English *Te Deum* ever composed with orchestral accompaniment. This work was annually performed at St Paul's Cathedral until 1712, after which it was performed alternately with Handel's *Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate* until 1743. In the final six years of his life, Purcell wrote music for forty-two plays.

Did You Know?

• Purcell's earliest known anthem, *Lord, who can tell*, was composed in 1678.
• He wrote several anthems for the Rev. John Gostling, whose basso profondo voice had a range of at least two full octaves, from D below the bass staff to the D above it.
• Purcell's *Te Deum and Jubilate Deo* (1694) was the first English *Te Deum* ever composed with orchestral accompaniment.
• The score of *The Fairy-Queen* was rediscovered in 1901 and published by the Purcell Society.
• In the final six years of his life, Purcell wrote music for forty-two plays.