Orpheus Britannicus

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Orpheus Britannicus. The ‘British Orpheus’, i.e. Purcell. Title given to 2 posthumous vols. of Purcell's vocal mus. pubd. by H. Playford (1698–1702), also to vol. of his songs pubd. by J. Walsh (1735). Britten and Pears realized and ed. 18 of these solo songs for v. and pf. and 6 duets for high and low vv. and pf. They also made a Suite of Songs for high v. and orch. and arr. 3 songs for high v. and orch.