From the Organist & Choirmaster
This Sunday’s Communion motet is a work by the great English composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695). Purcell is widely regarded as the finest English composer before Handel. He lived during the restoration period, when the monarchy and the Church of England were being reestablished after years of turmoil. Though his career was short, he died only at 36, Purcell left an extraordinary legacy of sacred choral works, theatre music, and organ voluntaries that continue to shape the sound of English church music.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts was originally written for the funeral of Queen Mary II in 1695, only months before Purcell himself died. It was part of the grand funeral liturgy at Westminster Abbey, which included a mixture of music by Purcell and his older contemporary Thomas Morley. The text itself comes from the Book of Common Prayer’s Burial Sentences, words of solemn trust in God’s mercy: “Suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from Thee.” Because of its simplicity and directness, Purcell’s setting has remained one of the most enduring pieces of English sacred music. Generations have sung it at funerals, memorials, and solemn liturgies. It was even sung at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022, showing its lasting place in Anglican worship.
Unlike some of Purcell’s more elaborate anthems, this motet is remarkably austere and restrained. Written in a homophonic style (all voices moving together), the music mirrors the gravity of the text. There is no ornamentation or counterpoint to distract (how of the times! ornamentation was forbidden in music during the English reformation) from the words; instead, the harmony supports a quiet, heartfelt plea for mercy. When we hear it during Communion, we are invited into that same prayerful posture: entrusting the most hidden parts of our lives to God, who knows us better than we know ourselves.
Henry Purcell: A Brief Life
As I mentioned previously, Purcell is often hailed as England’s greatest native-born composer before the arrival of Handel. Born in Westminster, he was a chorister of the Chapel Royal, where his musical gifts were nurtured from a young age. By his early twenties he was already recognized as one of the most promising musicians in London, and he went on to serve as organist of Westminster Abbey and later the Chapel Royal, two of the most prestigious posts in English church music. Purcell’s output was astonishingly broad: he wrote sacred anthems, royal ceremonial music, theatre songs, and instrumental works, blending the grandeur of continental Baroque style with a distinctly English lyricism. His music is marked by expressive word-setting, bold harmonies, and a gift for drama. Despite his brilliance, Purcell’s life was tragically short, dying at age 36 in 1965. Yet in that brief span he shaped the sound of English sacred and secular music for generations to come, earning the title Orpheus Britannicus (the “British Orpheus”). He is buried near the organ in Westminster Abbey, where his music still resounds.
When I was at Westminster Abbey a few weeks ago, I made sure to stop at Purcell’s burial place!