The Great Musicians: Purcell

by William Hayman Cummings

Purcell had two brothers, Edward and Daniel: the former was born in 1653. The story of his life is briefly told in the inscription placed on his gravestone in the chancel of Wytham Church, near Oxford:

"Here lyeth the body of Edward Purcell, eldest son of Mr. Purcell, gentleman of the Royal Chapel, and brother to Mr. Henry Purcell so much renowned for his skill in musick. He was gentleman usher to King Charles the 2nd, and lieutenant in Col. Trelawney's regiment of foot, in which for his many gallant actions in the wars of Ireland and Flanders he was gradually advanced to the honour of Lieutenant-colonel. He assisted Sir George Rook in the taking of Gibraltar, and the Prince of Hesse in the memorable defence of it. He followed that Prince to Barcelona, was at the taking of Mountjoy where that brave Prince was killed; and continued to signalize his courage in the siege and taking of the city in the year 1705. He enjoyed the glory of his great services till the much lamented death of his late mistress, Queen Anne, when, decayed with age and broken with misfortunes, he retired to the house of the Right Hon. Montague, Earl of Abingdon, and died June 20, 1717, aged 64."

Daniel Purcell was a younger brother of the great composer; the exact date of his birth is not known, but it is believed to have been about 1660. Of his early musical training nothing has been ascertained, he was too young when his father died to have received any instructions from him; possibly in his boyhood he may not have shown remarkable traits of musical ability; and in his more mature years his undoubted talent was altogether over-shadowed by the superior genius of his brother, to whom he was indebted for some part of the practical and theoretical knowledge of music he possessed. The first official appointment with which we can identify him is that of organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, to which he succeeded in 1686, soon after the ejectment from that post of Dr. Benjamin Rogers, who with the other fellows of the College was unjustly expelled by James II. In 1693 Daniel Purcell composed music for a "Saint Cecilia's Day Ode" written by Thomas Yalden, which is believed to have been performed at Oxford. He resigned his appointment at Magdalen College in 1695, in order that he might reside in London, and in the following year, 1696, composed music for the tragedy "Ibrahim XII.," written by Mary Pix; also for an opera called "Brutus of Alba, or Augusta's Triumph." This was written by George Powell, the comedian, and John Verbruggen; it was performed at the theatre in Dorset Gardens in the following year. The songs were immediately published with a dedication "to P. Norton and A. Henley, Esquires." In 1697, in conjunction with Jeremiah Clarke, he composed music for Settle's opera, "The New World in the Moon," and also for D'Urfey's opera, "Cynthia and Endymion." In 1698 he composed songs for a tragedy, "Phaeton, or the Fatal Divorce," written by Gildon, also an ode for the Princess Anne's birthday,[60] and an ode for Saint Cecilia's Day, written by Bishop.[61] In 1699, he was associated with Jeremiah Clarke and Leveridge in composing music for "The Island Princess," an opera by Motteux, and he also composed music for a "Saint Cecilia Ode" written by Addison for performance at Oxford. In 1700 he composed the work which has generally been considered his greatest success, an opera entitled "The Grove, or Love's Paradise," written by J. Oldmixon, and performed at Drury Lane. Daniel Purcell is said to have designed and penned this music whilst staying with his patron, Anthony Henley, of the Grange, in Hampshire, or at the residence of Philip Norton, of Southwick, in the same county, another of his patrons, who was in the habit of entertaining his friends in the summer time with dramatic representations.

On the 21st of March, 1699,[62] the following advertisement appeared in the London Gazette:—

"Several persons of quality, having for the encouragement of musick advanced 200 guineas, to be distributed in 4 prizes, the first of 100, the second of 50, the third of 30, and the fourth of 20 guineas, to such masters as shall be adjudged to compose the best; this is therefore to give notice, that those who intend to put in for the prizes are to repair to Jacob Tonson at Gray's-Inn Gate, before Easter next day, where they may be further informed."

The Earl of Halifax was the originator and one of the principal contributors to the prize fund; he was also one of the adjudicators. The poem selected for the composers to exercise their skill and fancy on was "The Judgment of Paris," written by Congreve. The first prize was won by John Weldon,[63] the second by John Eccles, the third by Daniel Purcell, and the fourth by Godfrey Finger.

The prize compositions of Daniel Purcell and Eccles were speedily published, but Weldon's work remains in MS., as does also that by Finger, who was so annoyed at the small success his composition achieved that he left England in disgust.

In 1701 Daniel Purcell composed music for "The Unhappy Penitent," a tragedy by Catherine Trotter; in 1702 for "The Inconstant," a comedy by Farquhar. In the Diverting Post, October 28th, 1704, we read—

"The Play-house in the Hay-Market (the architect being John Vanbrugh, Esq.), built by the subscription money of most of our Nobility, is almost finish'd: in the meantime two operas, translated from the Italian by good Hands, are setting to musick, one by Mr. Daniel Purcel, which is called 'Orlando Furioso,' and the other by Mr. Clayton: both operas are to be perform'd by the best artists, eminent both for Vocal and Instrumental Musick, at the Opening of the House."

This composition was very highly commended in the Muses Mercury, 1707, which speaks also in warm terms of a masque set by Daniel Purcell called "Orpheus and Euridice." In 1707 he composed a "Saint Cecilia Ode," which was performed at Oxford in St. Mary's Hall.