Henry Purcell | Timeline

Henry Purcell (c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Although it incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements, Purcell's was a uniquely English form of Baroque music. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers; no later native-born English composer approached his fame until Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Walton and Benjamin Britten in the 20th century. (Intro from Wikipedia)

September 10, 1659 - St.Anne's Lane, Westminster - Henry Purcell is born

February 16, 1661 - Westminster Abbey, London - His father is appointed a singing-man and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. He introduces his 5-year-old elder son Edward (born in 1655) into the Chapel

April 23, 1661 - Westminster Abbey, London - His father sings at the Coronation of King Charles II

October 1(?), 1662 - Whitehall, London - After the death of Henry Lawes, His father becomes a lutenist of the King's Band of Music and Court Cantor

January(?) 1(?), 1664 - Westminster, London - Daniel Purcell, his brother, is born

August 11, 1664 - Westminster, London - His father, Henry Purcell (senior), dies

January(?) 1(?), 1668 - Whitehall, London - Thomas Purcell, his uncle, uses his influence at Court to get 8-year-old Henry accepted as a choir boy at the Chapel Royal, which was directed by the "Master of the Children" Captain Henry Cooke

January(?) 1(?), 1670 - Whitehall, London - First composition: an ode to the King's birthday

June 13, 1672 - Whitehall, London - Captain Henry Cooke dies

June 24, 1672 - Whitehall, London - His brother Thomas succeeds Captain Henry Cooke in charge of the Chapel Royal and as "Master of the Children"

January(?) 1(?), 1673 - Whitehall, London - His voice breaks and he leaves the choir in the Chapel Royal to become assistant to the organ-builder John Hingston, his godfather: "As a 'late child of his Majesty's Chappell Royall, whose voice is changed, and gon [sic] from the Chappell' he was to be paid .C.30 a year and was at once provided with fine holland, handkerchiefs, a felt hat etc.". Purcell becomes officially a "Keeper, maker, mender, repairer and tuner of the regals, organs, virginals, flutes and recorders and ali other kinds of wind instruments whatsoever"

January(?) 1(?), 1675 - Westminster Abbey, London - Appointed copyist at Westminster Abbey, earning 7 pounds a year (2 to tune the organs and 5 for copying music)

September 1(?), 1677 - Whitehall, London - Promoted to the role of composer for the king's violins =(START)

January(?) 1(?), 1678 - London - Composition of the Anthem: "Lord, who can tell"

January(?) 1(?), 1679 - London - Writes songs for John Playford's "Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues"

June(?) 1(?), 1679 - Westminster Abbey, London - John Blow, organist of the Westminster Abbey, resigns his office in favour of Purcell

December 1(?), 1680 - Whitehall, London - Begins getting payed £16 a year for his post of composer for the king's violins (that he accepted in September 1677)

January(?) 1(?), 1681 - London(?) - 23-year-old Henry Purcell marries Frances Peters, a girl with a flemish father

July 14, 1682 - Whitehall, London - Officially admitted to the Gentlemen of the Royal Chapel, replacing the late organist Edward Lowe

July 31, 1682 - London - His brother Thomas Purcell dies

January(?) 1(?), 1683 - London - Purcell inherits John Hingston's post after his death

November 22, 1683 - London - Performance of "Welcome to all the pleasures Z.339" on Saint Cecilia's day

February 16, 1684 - London - "[The commission is granted to repair and tune the court musical instruments] to Henry Purcell in the place of John Hingeston, who died [with 60 pounds a year plus the money necessary to repair and build all kinds of instruments] [...] in the same full and broad manner previously granted to his predecessor the named John Hingeston."

April 23, 1685 - Westminster Abbey, London - Coronation of King James II with Purcell's anthems "My Heart is inditing" and "I was glad"

January(?) 1(?), 1686 - Westminster - Purcell composes the march "Lillibullero" which became very popular during the Glorious Revolution of 1688

November 2, 1686 - Westminster - Letter to the Dean of Exeter

January(?) 1(?), 1687 - Westminster - Provides music for a revival of John Dryden's 1669 tragedy "Tyrannick Love"

July 1(?), 1687 - Westminster, London - Premiere of "Dido and Aeneas", probably before King James II with Rowland Sherman in the audience

December 1, 1687 - London - Performance of the opera "Dido and Aeneas Z.626" at Josias Priest's girls' boarding school at Chelsea

January 1(?), 1688 - Westminster - Composes the anthem "Blessed are they that fear the Lord" for the King

February 15, 1689 - While in Westminster - Rowland Sherman, an apprentice-trader, writes a letter from Aleppo, Syria, to a merchant in London. Sherman, also a music lover, brought an harpsichord with him to Aleppo, and asks in the letter for a complete "account of musical compositions and performances in the town", including harpsichord transcriptions of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas"

September 5(?), 1689 - Westminster, London - His son Edward is born

September 6, 1689 - Westminster, London - Baptism of his son Edward

April 30, 1690 - Whitehall, London - Composes a setting of the birthday ode for Queen Mary, "Arise, my muse"

May 30(?), 1690 - London - Premiere of the opera "Dioclesian"

May 30(?), 1691 - London - Premiere of the opera "King Arthur, Z.628"

June 4, 1691 - London - The London Gazette advertises "King Arthur" from 4 to 8 June

May 2, 1692 - London - Premiere of "The Fairy-Queen" at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden

September 22, 1692 - London - First performance of "Hail! Bright Cecilia", organized by the Musical society of London

April 30, 1694 - Whitehall, London - Composes a setting of the birthday ode for Queen Mary, "Come Ye Sons of Art"

December 28, 1694 - Whitehall, London - Queen Mary II dies of smallpox. Her embalmed body lay in state in Banqueting House, Whitehall. Purcell begins composing music for her funeral

March 5, 1695 - Westminster Abbey, London - Queen Mary's funeral. Purcell's "Funeral Sentences" and "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary" are performed.

June 1(?), 1695 - London - Performance of "The Indian Queen Z.630" (Prologue and Acts II and III)

November 21, 1695 - Dean's Yard, Westminster - Very sick, probably with tuberculosis, Henry Purcell signs his Last Will and Testament. Hours later, he dies, aged 36 =(END)