Music from the English Courts
Handel, Purcell & Locke

The splendour of royal occasions has inspired some of Britain's finest music. Composers such as Handel and Purcell had an incomparable feel for the expression of musical majesty. Others like John Dowland wrote serene music to "soothe the savage breast" and calm the nerves of anxious monarchs. But perhaps most important of all was the music for courtly dancing, a pastime enjoyed by polite society for the purpose of conversation, gossip and, of course, romancing.