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Henry Purcell was the leading English composer of his time, even composing for the Royal family. He wrote Music for a While during the Baroque period as incidental music for the play Oedipus, written by John Dryden and Nathaniel Lee. The version of the play that included Music for a While premiered in London in 1692. It is a sorrowful song about two priests summoning and calming the ghost Alecto, a character with snakes for hair and eyes of dripping blood. In this video, Lola and Zeynap discuss Music for a While.

Find out more about GCSE Music.