Henry Purcell
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
"Purcell" redirects here. You may be looking for Daniel Purcell. See also the disambiguation page for Purcell.
Life
Born: 10 September 1659
Died: 21 November 1695
Biography
The entry in Cathedral Music, Volume 2 (William Boyce) reads:
Henry Purcell, was one of the Children of the Chapel Royal, and became Organist of the same in 1682. He was also Organist of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster, which Place he resigned in 1693.
He died in 1695, aged 37, and was buried in the North Isle of the said Church. On the Stone erected to his Memory is inscribed
- Here lies Henry Purcell, Esq; who left this Place, and is gone to that Blessed Place where only his Harmony can be exceeded.
And on his Grave-stone, as follows:
- Applaud so great a Guest Celestial Pow'rs,
- Who now resides with you, but once was ours:
- Yet let invidious Earth no more reclaim
- Her short-liv'd Fav'rite, and her chiefest Fame,
- Complaining that so prematurely dy'd
- Good Nature's Pleasure, and Devotion's Pride,
- Dy'd! No, he lives while yonder Organs sound,
- And sacred Echoes to the Choir rebound.
The Poet Dryden wrote an Elegy on his Death, which was set to Music by Dr. John Blow, who had been his Master. He appears to have possessed a Genius superior to any of his Predecessors, together with a depth of Musical Knowledge not inferior to the most learned of them. His Talents were not confined to any particular Manner or Stile of Composition, for he was equally excellent in every thing he attempted; and it is doing but common Justice to his Memory to acknowledge, that his Works, in general, affect more powerfully, than those of almost any other Author.
View the Wikipedia article on Henry Purcell.
List of choral works
- For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see Henry Purcell compositions
| ICON | SOURCE |
|---|---|
 |
File details |
 |
Help |
Sacred works
Morning canticles
- Te Deum & Jubilate (3 editions available)
- Te Deum in B flat
- Benedictus in B flat
- Benedicite omnia opera in B flat
- Jubilate Deo in B flat
Communion services
- Kyrie in B flat
- Nicene Creed in B flat
Evening canticles
- Magnificat & Nunc dimittis in B flat (2 editions available)
- Cantate Domino in B flat
- Deus Misereatur in B flat
- Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in g minor] various editions available
Anthems
- Alleluia (3 editions available)
- Be merciful
- Blow up the trumpet (
) - Declare His Honour (2 editions available)
- A Morning Hymn (
- Evening Hymn, An (
) (2 editions available) - Funeral Music for Queen Mary
- Choral Score (2 editions available)
- Canzona ( Encore )
- Hear my prayer (4 editions available)
- I was glad (2 editions available)
- I will give thanks unto Thee (
) - In God's word will I rejoice (2 editions available) an excerpt from Be merciful unto me
- In guilty night ( )
- In the midst of life ( )
- Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei, Z.135 (2 editions available)
- Lord, have mercy upon us ( )
- Lord, how long wilt Thou be angry (2 editions available)
- Lord, not to us ( Sibelius 2 )
- O God the king of glory ( )
- O God, thou art my God ( Sibelius )
- O God, thou hast cast us out
- O Lord God of Hosts
- O sing unto the Lord ( ) Sibelius )
- Rejoice in the Lord alway ( )
- Remember not, Lord, our offences (2 editions available)
- Sing, ye faithful ( )
- Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, Z.58b (2 editions available)
- Thy way, o God
- Thy word is a lantern ( )
Dramatic works
- Dido and Aeneas, Z 626 Opera (1689)
- Dido's Lament and Chorus ( ) PDFs and Midis available
- King Arthur (2 editions available)
Secular works
- 10 catches ( Finale 2002 )
- Bacchus is a pow'r divine ( )
- Britons, strike home! ( )
- A Catch in the Play of the Knights of Malta ( LilyPond )
- A Catch by way of an Epistle ( LilyPond )
- Come, ye Sons of Art, birthday ode for Queen Mary (1694), Z 323 (multiple editions available)
- Down with Bacchus ( )
- Fairest isle ( )
- Fairest Isle (King Arthur) (2 editions available)
- Fie, nay, prithee John ( )
- Five Reasons ( )
- The Glass was just timed ( )
- He that drinks is immortal ( )
- Here's a health ( )
- Hush, no more ( )
- I attempt from love's sickness to fly (2 editions available)
- I gave her cakes and I gave her ale ( )
- If Love's a Sweet Passion (2 editions available)
- If Music be the Food of Love (2 editions available)
- In these delightful pleasant Groves ( )
- The Mavis (3 editions available)
- Of all the instruments ( )
- An Old Epitaph ( )
- Tis women ( )
- Tom the Taylor ( LilyPond )
- Upon the Viol, a Catch ( LilyPond )
- Welcome to All the Pleasures, Ode to St. Cecilia (1683), Z 339 ( ) - Choral score also available
- What shall I do to show ( )
- Wine in a morning ( )
List of solo vocal works
| ICON | SOURCE |
|---|---|
|
File details |
|
Help |
- And in each track of Glory ( )
- Anacreon's Defeat ( )
- Bacchus is a pow'r divine ( )
- The bashful Thames ( )
- Begin the Song Sibelius 6
- Celia Has a Thousand Charms ( )
- Charon the peacefull Shade invites ( )
- Crown the Altar, Deck the Shrine ( )
- 5 Duets from Orpheus Britannicus link to external site removed due to copyright concerns
- Sound the trumpet
- Lost is my quiet (
Sibelius 6 ) - What can we poor females do?
- No, resistance is but vain
- Shepherd, leave decoying
- For Love ev'ry Creature is form'd ( )
- Hark! each Tree its silence breaks ( )
- Hark! The Ecchoing Air a Triumph Sings ( )
- Hark! how the songsters of the grove ( )
- Hence! Hence! Hence with your trifling deity ( )
- Here the Deities approve ( )
- I loved fair Celia ( )
- I See She Flies Me ( )
- If Musick be the food of Love ( )
- In vain the amorous flute (2 editions available)
- Let all Mankind the Pleasure share ( )
- Let us Dance, let us Sing ( )
- Love Arms Himself in Celia's Eyes ( )
- Love Quickly is Pall'd ( )
- Love thou art best of Humane Joys ( )
- Musick for a While (2 editions available)
- Next winter comes slowly ( Finale 2006 )
- Nymphs and Shepherds come away ( )
- O let me weep ( )
- O solitude ( )
- Return fond Muse ( )
- A Serenading Song ( Finale 2000 ) full score and parts available
- Shepherd Leave Decoying ( )
- Since the toils and hazards of war ( )
- Sing, sing, ye Druids ( )
- Sound the Trumpet (multiple editions available)
- Sound Trumpet Sound, beat ev'ry Drum ( )
- Strike the Viol (multiple editions available)
- Sweeter Than Roses ( )
- They shall be happy ( )
- To Arms, your Ensigns straight Display ( )
- Thou tun'st this World below ( )
- Turn then thine Eyes ( )
- We the Spirits of the Air ( )
- What a sad Fate ( )
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL
External links
- Biography on HOASM
- The Last Renaissance Man - Fiction novel, based on Purcell's life
- Purcell on the Chainki wiki of links
- A scan of the original engraving of "Tis Nature's Voice" (PDF)
- A scan of the original engraving of "A song sung by the girl in The Tempest" (PDF)
- Complete list of works
- Another reference for works