The Other Purcell Boy

For centuries it's been widely accepted that the composer Daniel Purcell was the younger brother of the more celebrated Henry. Now, though, it's thought that they may actually have been cousins rather than brothers. Apart from a much loved Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis, Daniel Purcell's music has remained largely in the shadow of his older relative, but thanks to a handful of recent recordings, it's now being considered much more on its own merits. Lucie Skeaping looks at the life and music of Daniel Purcell, with performances from the Parnassian Ensemble, Chichester Cathedral Chor, and violinist Hazel Brooks and harpsichordist David Pollock, who have recently released some of Purcell's previously unrecorded chamber music.