Purcell for kids: his life, his music, and what to play first

Henry Purcell was an English composer who lived from 1659 to 1695. He wrote music for the church, the royal court, and the theater, and many people count him among the greatest composers England has had. Children meet one of his tunes at the start of The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. The best first piece is that tune in its first form: the Rondeau from Abdelazer.

Quick facts

• Born: 1659, in London, England
• Died: 1695, in London, England
• Era: Baroque
• Played: organ and harpsichord
• Known for: the opera Dido and Aeneas, music for plays, and songs and anthems for kings and queens

The life in short

Purcell grew up a short walk from Westminster Abbey. His father and his uncle were both musicians at the royal court.

As a boy, he sang in the king’s choir, the Chapel Royal. When his voice changed at 14, he was given a job helping to tune and repair the king’s instruments.

At about 20, he became the organist of Westminster Abbey. His own teacher, John Blow, had held the job before him.

Purcell served three reigns: King Charles II, King James II, and King William III and Queen Mary II, who ruled together. He wrote birthday songs, welcome songs, and music for crownings and funerals.

He also wrote for the public theaters in London. Plays of the time had songs, dances, and long musical scenes, and Purcell supplied them for more than 40 plays.

Around 1688, he wrote Dido and Aeneas, a short opera that was performed at a girls’ school in Chelsea. It is one of the earliest operas in English, and it is still staged often.

In March 1695, he wrote the music for Queen Mary’s funeral. In November of that year, he died at 36. The same music was played at his own funeral, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey beside the organ.

What the music sounds like

Purcell’s music fits English words with great care. The rhythm of each line follows the way the words are spoken.

He liked to build a piece over a ground bass. This is a short pattern in the lowest part that repeats again and again while the music above it changes.

Four pieces to play first

Rondeau, from Abdelazer. A stately tune in a minor key for strings. Britten used it 250 years later as the theme of The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

“Dido’s Lament,” from Dido and Aeneas. A queen sings her farewell. The bass line steps down one slow note at a time, and the same pattern repeats under the whole song.

“The Cold Song,” from King Arthur. A spirit of winter wakes from the ice. Singer and strings shiver on every note.

“Sound the Trumpet.” Two singers trade quick, bright phrases that copy the sound of trumpets. Purcell wrote it for Queen Mary’s birthday.

Things to do together

Same tune, two centuries. Play Purcell’s Rondeau. Then play the first two minutes of Britten’s piece. Ask your child what Britten changed.

Follow the bass. Play “Dido’s Lament.” Hum the low pattern, then count how many times it repeats.

Shiver. Play “The Cold Song.” Sing “I am cold” with a shiver on each word, as the singer does.

Be a trumpet. After “Sound the Trumpet,” try singing a fanfare on “ta-ta-ta.”

Find the Abbey. Look at a photo of Westminster Abbey. Purcell worked there, and his grave is there.

Purcell and Britten

Benjamin Britten loved Purcell’s music and arranged many of his songs. When he was asked in 1945 for a piece to teach children the instruments of the orchestra, he chose a Purcell tune as its theme. Read Britten for kids.

Print and play

Fill in a composer study notebook page for Purcell. For the other composers of his era, see Baroque music for kids. For his instruments, read keyboard instruments for kids.

For more composers from the same country, read English composers for kids. For more composers by era, see classical composers for kids.