Henry Purcell Biography

Henry Purcell was a 17th century English musician and composer, counted among the greatest English composers of all time. A highly renowned musical figure of his era, his compositions covered a wide range of fields including the church, the stage, and the court. Blessed with an open mind, he loved to learn from musicians all around Europe and incorporated stylistic elements of Italian and French music into his compositions. He developed his own unique style of English Baroque music characterized by elaborate musical ornamentation and his inventiveness made him one of the most original composers in Europe. Born into a family of musicians, Purcell was perhaps destined to become a musician. His father was a musician at court and his uncle too was a singer. He faced a tragic blow early on in life when his father died unexpectedly, leaving the young boy under the care of his uncle. His uncle raised him with love and encouraged his passion for music. He received training in music from Captain Henry Cooke and was made a chorister in the Chapel Royal. He also started composing at a young age and eventually became famous as a composer and songwriter. His illustrious career however came to an abrupt end when he died unexpectedly of an illness when he was just in his mid-thirties