Following the sinister puritan religious dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell and the succession attempt by his son Richard during a few months, the King’s return from exile on his birthday in 1660 was celebrated as a breath of fresh air. Because under Cromwell, music and joy were banned, it was all about religion, only religion, always religion, along with war. It therefore comes as no surprise that the advent of the new king was celebrated with music. With that said, the present works by Purcell weren’t originally conceived for this particular return – the composer, albeit a young prodigy, was only one year old at the time – and in 1680 Welcome, vicegerent of the mighty King celebrated another royal return. Three years later, Purcell wrote Fly, bold rebellion to celebrate the king’s return following the failed Rye House Plot, a plan to assassinate the King as well as his brother, the future James II. The other works on the album, authored by Harry Christophers and his sumptuous ensemble The Sixteen, also offer other pieces by Purcell, including the stunning 1688 O sing unto the Lord, which is not directly related to any royal return, but whose essence perfectly encapsulates the spirit of artistic (and even, in a way, religious) freedom that prevailed in England at the time. © SM/Qobuz