English 17th century music is naturally dominated by the genius of the short-lived Henry Purcell. But there is wonderful, quirky and great stuff from his colleagues, teachers and for-runners. Anyone who has sung in an Anglican based choir will have come across the amazing music of Orlando Gibbons — but the music of his son Christopher (also an organist at Westminster Abbey) is breathtaking. He has been unjustly neglected, but I am doing my best to expose him to the world! His extraordinary 4-part Fantasy in a minor, and Fantasy suite in F for 2 violins, gamba and continuo are mini masterpieces! John Blow has the odd experience of both preceding and following his student Purcell as organist at Westminster Abbey. How proud he must have been of his amazing student, and now heartbroken at his early death. Blow’s own music is fabulous and many-sided as can be heard from the Chaconne and Instrumental suite from his stage-work Venus and Adonis.
—Richard