The Purcell Society

Publishing the complete works of Henry Purcell

Welcome to the Purcell Society

Henry Purcell

The Purcell Society is publishing the complete musical works of Henry Purcell in modern, authoritative printed editions. The Purcell Society Edition is designed with performers, researchers, librarians and music lovers in mind.

The modern Purcell Society Edition is being published in 33 volumes. These scores replace the ‘old’ Purcell Society edition (The Works of Henry Purcell) published between the 1870s and 1970s. The modern series contains completely new editions, edited from original sources by today’s leading Purcell scholars. The editions draw on the latest scholarship and on newly discovered sources of Purcell’s music. They are produced to the highest editorial standards and are peer-reviewed before publication.

The Society has recently initiated the Purcell Society Companion Series, a supplementary set of works by Purcell’s most important contemporaries.

Until 2007 Novello & Co. were the publishers to the Purcell Society. Since then Stainer & Bell have had this role. Stainer & Bell are publishing all remaining volumes in the complete edition and the Companion Series.

Performing material is available for many works. Offprints of individual works can often be purchased, sometimes in PDF format. This website provides details of the contents of each volume, and information on the availability of scores and performing materials. Find out more on the Purcell Society Edition and Companion Series pages.