PACS003: Two Catches - Purcell (1659-1695)

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The Purcell Singers Recorded 1935 Issued in The English Music Society Vol.1, as Columbia ROX 135. Duration 3'40"

Play 30s sample:

In the mid-1930's Columbia began a short-lived issue of volumes entitled The English Music Society (the only other being devoted to Arnold Bax). The first of these was dedicated entirely to one of the most highly regarded of English composers, Henry Purcell (1659-1695), and includes these two ever-so-slightly risqué catches, admirably performed by The Purcell Singers and excellently recorded by the Columbia engineers.

For the uninitiated, a 'catch' is a canon for three (or more) voices, and despite the skill involved in singing these, they were often written for performance in inns and taverns, and remained enormously popular right up to the early 19th century.

The more bawdy of them were unavailable to the music lover of the 1930s, as the accompanying notes to this set point out: "It is not possible, even in this licentious age, to publish one of Purcell's more lecherous examples without running the risk of imprisonment for obscenity..."

So here's a couple of tamer examples for those with a delicate sensitivity! The first catch is called "To Thee and to a Maid", followed with barely the time to take a swig of beer by "I Gave Her Cakes and I Gave Her Ale". Enjoy!

Find out more:   About Purcell: BBC Artist Profile Classical Music Pages BaroqueMusic.org Download our Illustrated Catalogue Complete catalogue of recordings, fully indexed by composer and performer, with links to website pages

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