In this colorful biography, Jonathan Keates deftly traces the life and career of the greatest English composer, Henry Purcell, against the backdrop of the turbulent political, religious, theatrical, and social movements of his time. Following the composer through his extraordinarily prolific career, as chorister at the Chapel Royal, as composer for theater and court, as writer of sacred music, chamber music, and the first British opera, Keates shows how Purcell"s musical genius both embraced and transcended the tensions of Restoration England to give his era and culture an unforgettable voice.