Harry Young and John Richardson

Conductor, John Faulds

The Scottish Regional Director

Leader, J. Mouland Begbie
Conducted by Ian Whyte
King Arthur or The British Worthy was produced at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in 1691. In addition to the music occurring during the course of the play, Purcell wrote instrumental music to be played before the rise of the curtain (called ' first music ', ' second music ', and ' curtain tune '), and the ' act tunes ', or interludes. The present suite is selected from this instrumental music. As far as can be ascertained the Overture and First Aire formed the ' second music ', the Hornpipe and Second Aire were probably ' act tunes', and the Song Tune is a transcription of the well-known ' Fairest Isle '. The Chaconne has generally been held to be the ' Grand Dance ' at the end of the opera, but there is evidence to show that it was probably the ' first music '.