Two years after the death of Henry Purcell 'A Collection of Ayres, composed for the Theatre, and upon other occasions' was published by his widow, Frances Purcell. It consists of suites from the various plays, etc., for which Purcell composed music, arranged for string quartet. The pieces in this suite have been selected from this 'Collection' and made into one representative of Purcell's theatre music in general.
Three of the pieces, the 'March', 'Trumpet Ayre',. and 'Jigg' (the last omitted this evening), are from the music to The Married Beau, the 'Ayre' from Distres'd Inocency; or, the Princess of Persia, the 'Dance of the Furies' from The Fairy Queen, and the 'Country Dance' from Dioclesian.