Purcell, Henry

PURCELL, HENRY: Composer; b. at Westminster, London, in 1658; d. at the same place Nov. 21, 1695. He was copyist at the Westminster Abbey, 1676–78; and was appointed organist at 364the same place, 1680, and at the Chapel Royal, 1682. He occupied a place in the first rank of English sacred composers. While his place in this work is due to his compositions for church use, he was a prolific producer of music for the stage, fifty-one dramatic works of his being known. He was a composer also of sonatas, and of pieces for the organ and the harpsichord. His Sacred Music (including fifty anthems), Te Deum, Jubilate, and a number of minor pieces, were collected and edited by Vincent Novello, and prefaced with a notice of his life and works (London, 1826–36).

Bibliography: W. H. Cummings, Purcell, in Great Musicians Series, London, 1899; G. Grove, Hist. Of Music, ii. 183, iii. 46–52, 5 vols., ib. 1879–89; J. F. Runciman, Purcell, New York, 1909; DNB, xlvii. 39–44.