The music of Henry Purcell formed a major influence across Britten’s output. The numerous editions of Purcell housed in Britten and Pears’s Library and Archive in Aldeburgh indicate the lasting importance for both men of his music. Among these editions are the 1698 and 1702 printings of Orpheus Britannicus, the two-volume song collection published by Henry Playford after the composer’s death. The many Purcell realisations Britten produced, with vocal parts edited by Pears, were a popular featu...