This collection of essays investigates the stylistic evolution and technical innovations of Henry Purcell within the context of 17th-century English music. Edited by Imogen Holst, the volume compiles scholarly contributions that examine the composer's influence on the development of the English Baroque tradition. The text utilizes historical analysis and musicological examination to contextualize Purcell's compositions against the social and political landscape of the Restoration era.

Experts recognize this collection as a significant scholarly resource for understanding the nuances of Purcell's compositional technique. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored toward music historians and advanced students of the Baroque period.