Henry Purcell

4 Pieces from Abdelazer

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) held numerous appointments at the Royal Court and Westminster Abbey, and is considered by many to be the greatest ever English-born composer. His prolific work covered all fields: orchestral, ecclesiastical, operatic, theatrical, incidental, and chamber music were all enriched by his output.

Abdelazer, also known as The Moor's Revenge, was a 1676 play. Purcell later composedincidental music for a revival of it in the 1690s. He wrote ten movements in total, the most famous of which was later used as the theme for Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Four of these have beenarrangedhere for Organ by Desmond Ratcliffe.