Born in Westminster (now London), Purcell was the son of a court musician and became a chorister in the Chapel Royal at the age of ten; when his voice broke, he was apprenticed to the keeper of the royal instruments and tuned the organ in Westminster Abbey. Purcell was appointed composer for the court violins in 1677 upon the death of Matthew Locke. Three years later he succeeded John Blow as abbey organist. He became organist at the Chapel Royal in 1682 and was appointed composer in ordinary to the King's Musick (1683), a major post, under Charles II; later he was harpsichord player to James II. Purcell also taught music to the aristocracy, wrote ceremonial odes and anthems for royal events, and composed for the stage, church, and home. He died in London on November 21, 1695, and was buried under the organ in Westminster Abbey.
Purcell is most famous for his theatrical music. His only true opera is Dido and Aeneas, a masterpiece based on a tragedy by Nahum Tate and first performed in about 1689. Other dramatic works, although called operas, are actually instrumental and vocal music written to accompany such plays as Thomas Betterton's Dioclesian (1690); John Dryden's King Arthur (1691); The Fairy Queen (1692), a masque adapted from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (1692); and Dryden and Sir Robert Howard's The Indian Queen (1695; completed by Purcell's brother Daniel), which contains some of Purcell's most famous music. Purcell also wrote much fine sacred music, of which the anthem My Heart Is Inditing (1685), performed at the coronation of James II, is outstanding. His many songs and duets, both sacred and secular, are still highly regarded. His instrumental compositions include fantasias and sonatas, mostly for strings, and keyboard works.
Some of Purcell's Works:
- Awake, awake put on thy strength Z1
- Behold, I bring you glad tidings, Z2
- Behold now, praise the Lord, Z3 (c1680)
- Be merciful unto me, Z4
- Blessed are they that fear the Lord, Z5 (1688)
- Blessed be the Lord my strength, Z6
- Blessed is he that considereth the poor Z7
- Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, Z8
- Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, Z9
- Blow up the trumpet in Sion, Z10
- Bow down thine ear, O Lord, Z11
- Hear me O Lord Z13a/Z13b
- Hear my prayer; O God Z14
- Hear my prayer, O Lord, Z15
- In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, Z16
- In the midst of life, Z17b
- It is a good thing to give thanks, Z18 (1682/5)
- I was glad when they said unto me, Z19
- I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Z20 (c1682-5)
- I will give thanks unto the Lord Z21
- I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live Z22
- Let God arise, Z23
- Let mine eyes run down with tears, Z24 (c1682)
 Lord, how long wilt thou be angry? Z25
- Lord, who can tell how oft he offendeth?, Z26
- Man that is born of a woman, Z27
- My beloved spake, Z28 (before 1678)
- My heart is fixed, O God, Z29
- My heart is inditing, Z30
- My song shall be alway, Z31 (1690?)
- O consider my adversity, Z32
- O give thanks unto the Lord, Z33 (1693)
- O God, the king of glory, Z34
- O God, thou art my god, Z35
- O God, thou has cast us out, Z36
- O Lord God of hosts, Z37
- O Lord, grant the King a long life, Z38
- O Lord, rebuke me not, Z40
- O Lord, thou art my God Z41
- O praise God in his holiness, Z42 (c1682/5)
- O praise the Lord, all ye heathen, Z43
- O sing unto the Lord, Z44 (1688)
- Out of the deep have I called Z45
- Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, Z46 (probably 1689)
- Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, Z47
- Praise the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God Z48
- Rejoice in the Lord alway ('The Bell Anthem'), Z49
- Remember not, O Lord, our offences, Z50
- Save me, O God, Z51
- Sing unto God, Z52
- The Lord is king, be the people never so impatient, Z53
- The Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof, Z54
- The Lord is my light, Z55
- The way of God is an undefiled way, Z56
- They that go down to the sea in ships, Z57
- Thou know'st, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, Z58b
- Thou know'st, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, Z58c
- Thy way, O God, is holy, Z60
- The word is a lantern unto my feet, Z61
- Turn thou us, O good Lord Z62
- Unto Thee will I cry Z63
- Who hath believed our report?, Z64
- Why do the heathen so furiously rage together?, Z65
- I will love thee, O Lord, ZN67
- The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel Z69
- Beati omnes qui timent Domonum, Z131
- Early, O Lord, my fainting soul, Z132
- Hear me, O Lord, the great support, Z133
- In guilty night (Saul and the Witch of Endor), Z134
- Jehova, quam multi sunt hestes, Z135
- Lord, I can suffer thy rebukes, Z136
- Lord, not to us, but to thy name, Z137
- O, all ye people, clap your hands, Z138
- O, I'm sick of life, Z140
- O Lord, our Governer, Z141
- Plung'd in the confines of despair, Z142
- Since God, so tender a regard, Z143
- When on my sick bed I languish, Z144
- Awake, and with attention hear, Z181
- Awake, ye dead, Z182
- Begin the song, and strike the living lyre, Z183
- Close thine eyes and sleep secure Z184
- Full of wrath his threatening breath, Z185
- Great God and just, Z186
- Hosanna to the highest, Z187
- How have I stray'd Z188
- How long, great God? Z189
- In the black dismal dungeon of despair, Z190
- Let the night perish (Job's Curse), Z191
- Lord, what is man?, Z192
- Now that the sun hath veiled his light (An Evening Hymn) Z193
- Sleep, Adam, sleep and take thy rest, Z195
- Tell me, some pitying angel (The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation), Z196
- The earth trembled, Z197
- Thou wakeful shepherd that dost Israel keep (A Morning Hymn), Z198
- We sing to him, whose wisdom form'd the ear, Z199
- With sick and famish'd eyes, Z200
- Cantate Domino & Deus misereator, Z230
- Te Deum and Jubilate in B flat, Z230
- Benedicite in B flat, Z230
- Benedictus in B flat Z230
- Kyrie eleison in B flat Z230
- Nicene Creed in B flat Z230
- Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B flat Z230
- Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in G minor, Z231
- Te Deum and Jubilate Deo in D, Z232 (1694)
- I was glad when they said unto me, 1685
- Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary 1695
- Drum Processional
- March, Z860
- Man that is born of a woman, Z27
- In the midst of life, Z17b
- Thou know'st, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, Z58b
- Thou know'st, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, Z58c
- Canzona, Z860
- Drum Recessional
- Real Audio clip of Thou know'st Lord the secrets of our hearts by the Westminster Abbey Choir.
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