­
  • Register
  • |
  • Sign in
Skip to content
skip to navigation

Classic FM

Listen

On Air Now

Sam Pittis 4am - 7am

Sam Pittis

Now Playing

The Land of the Mountain & the Flood Hamish Maccunn Download 'The Land of the Mountain & the Flood' on iTunes

The Land of the Mountain & the Flood artwork
  • Playlist
  • Schedule
  • Home
  • Radio
  • News
  • Discover Music
  • Composers
  • Artists
  • Win
  • Store
  • Charity
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Dating
  • Sign in / Register
  • Follow us on:
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube

Purcell

Guides

Purcell: 15 facts about the great composer

Discover 15 facts about the English Baroque composer, responsible for chamber music, operas and songs.

  1. Henry Purcell

    1. Purcell is born in 1659

    Henry Purcell is yet another composer whose birthday is not entirely set in stone. There’s evidence he was born on 10 September, but no record of his baptism survives.

  2. Charles II

    2. Charles II

    Purcell's interest in music began when he was a young child. Rumour has it that he composed well at the age of 9. His earliest work is an ode for King Charles' birthday in 1670.

  3. Map of Westminster 1650s

    3. Westminster

    A London lad, the young Purcell attended Westminster School and was appointed copyist at Westminster Abbey in 1676. This map, from the year before Purcell's birth, shows his Westminster surroundings.

  4. Westminster Abbey

    4. Westminster Abbey

    Purcell landed the impressive post of Organist of Westminster Abbey by the time he was 20, in 1679.

  5. william and mary coronation

    5. Royal organist

    As organist of Westminster Abbey, Purcell played at William and Mary’s coronation on 11 April 1689. Spectators watching from the organ loft passed cash to the young composer, causing tension between him and the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

  6. Benjamin Britten

    6. Purcell and Britten

    You may have noticed that Benjamin Britten’s ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ carries a distinctly Baroque flavour. It’s based on a theme from Purcell’s Abdelazar, written in 1695.

  7. purcell's wife and children

    7. Purcell's wife and children

    Purcell fathered six children by his wife Frances, four of whom died in infancy. His wife, and two children Edward and Frances, survived him.

  8. Edward Elgar's bushy moustache!

    8. Purcell and Elgar: England's best composers?

    The 200 year void between Purcell’s death and the birth of Elgar (pictured) left a gap in classical music, and led England to be dubbed ‘The land without music’.

  9. Dido's Lament copy

    9. Dido and Aeneas

    Purcell’s first opera, ‘Dido and Aeneas’, was a monumental work in Baroque opera. Not content with a farcical boy-meets-girl love story, the work is based on Book IV of Virgil's 'Aeneid'.

  10. The Who playing live

    10. Purcell and... The Who?

    Purcell’s music has inspired all sorts of musicians, including Pete Townsend of The Who, who identified Purcell’s harmonies as an influence on the band’s music. Tracks like 'I Can See for Miles', 'Won’t Get Fooled Again', and 'Pinball Wizard' all owe their existence to the Baroque composer.

  11. st cecilia

    11. Ode to St. Cecilia

    Purcell is one of many composers to write a piece in honour of the patron saint of musicians. The work premiered in 1692, and was so popular it received an encore.

  12. chocolate

    12. Death by chocolate...

    Purcell may be the first and only composer to die from chocolate poisoning! In truth, no one really knows for certain how he died; one theory is that he caught a chill after his wife locked him out the house, but it’s likely he died of tuberculosis.

  13. Roger North

    13. A musical snob?

    Roger North, a contemporary of Purcell reported that the composer may have been a bit of a snob. He made a note of the music the public disliked, because he thought his best work was too good for them to understand.

  14. purcell's grave

    14. Purcell dies aged 36 in 1695

    Purcell’s musical talents where cut off in their prime. He died aged 36, adding his name to the list of musical geniuses to die in their 30s, including Mozart and Schubert.

  15. purcell ode

    15. Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell

    Baroque composer John Blow was appointed organist at Westminster Abbey in 1669, after Purcell's death. He set text by John Dryden to music, which became the 'Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell'. The original 1696 manuscript is pictured.

Purcell News

See more Purcell News

Tunnel acoustic

Baroque opera performed in a tunnel sounds incredible

Videos

Louise Alder

‘It’s really important to create your support network very early on’ – advice from a rising star

Dido and Aeneas Roman Baths

Opera stars stage 'floating' Purcell performance

Purcell Music

See more Purcell Music

Pumeza dido aeneas Bristol Proms

Dido and Aeneas at the Bristol Proms

Events

Purcell2

Purcell - Dido and Aeneas

Purcell Album Reviews

See more Purcell Album Reviews

Album cover

The Pure Sound of Elin Manahan Thomas

Handel

The Respect Trio

Sonatas of Youthful Genius

Purcell Guides

See more Purcell Guides

Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell: An Appreciation

Henry Purcell

How to buy Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

Back to top

Also on Classic FM

  • Listen to Global Player
  • Classic FM Breakfast with Dan Walker
  • John Williams
  • Alexander Armstrong on Classic FM
  • Quizzes
  • Leonard Bernstein
  • Mozart
  • Debussy
  • Music theory
  • Instruments
  • Classic FM Live
  • Brahms
  • Vivaldi
  • Bach
  • Tchaikovsky
  • Chopin
  • Andrea Bocelli
  • Florence Price
  • Beethoven
  • Best classical music
  • Classic FM Requests
  • Best pianists
  • Harry Potter music
  • Star Wars soundtrack
  • Composer or pasta
  • Music for Studying
  • Best violinists
  • Classical music tearjerkers
  • Relaxing classical

Useful Links

  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • How To Listen
  • About Classic FM
  • Company Details
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Advertise
  • Global Jobs

Download the app

Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

Follow Us

Follow Classic FM on Facebook
Follow Classic FM on Instagram
Follow Classic FM on Youtube
© Global 2025
30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
Privacy Manager