14 December: Purcell’s drinking songs

14 December: Purcell’s drinking songs

Every day throughout Advent, the season of overindulgence, we’ll be telling a tale of an overindulgent composer

Freya Parr

Published: December 14, 2017 at 10:00 am

Composer: Purcell

How indulgent: Terminally indulgent

How: Henry Purcell penned a number of drinking songs, including such titles as ‘Wine in a morning makes us frolic and gay’ and ‘I gave her cakes and I gave her ale’.

Did you know: Purcell’s drinking song ‘Come, let us drink’ uses a canon, where three voices repeat a certain melody, but with each voice beginning at different times.

Now indulge yourself with….. ‘Come, let us drink’

This Purcell drinking song is sure to raise your spirits this Christmas!

Freya Parr

Digital Editor and Staff Writer, BBC Music Magazine

Freya Parr is BBC Music Magazine's digital editor and staff writer, editing and writing on all styles of music across both the website and print magazine. She has also written for titles including the Guardian, Circus Journal, Frankie and Suitcase Magazine, and runs The Noiseletter, a fortnightly arts and culture publication. Freya's main areas of interest and research lie in 20th-century and contemporary music. She's a regular sea shanty singer, folk obsessive and occasional flautist, pianist, organist and musical theatre director.
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