Purcell began writing catches around 1680 and continued to do so, as convivial occasion demanded, throughout his career. They were reprinted with equal regularity during the eighteenth century and rendered themselves harmless by respectable Victorians like Rimbault. (This bowdlerization was a habit which the editor of the Purcell Society edition found impossible to kick even as late as the 1920s.) The present edition restores all the verses Purcell set; corrects the many musical errors which crept in through frequent reprinting and reliance on bad sources. Since the catch was the means of self-expression for the liberated middle class drinking man, it is not surprising that it revolved around three subjects: sex, drink and politics. Women are to be seduced or if you’re married to them, cursed; when they are unwilling they are cast aside in favour of drink, whose communal consciousness-expanding and laziness-inducing properties are most frequently praised. The politics are mainly jingoistic but in one case – Who goes there? – it deals with the corruption of drunken officials. It seems unlikely that Purcell’s catches were ever sung successfully while under the influence; the melodic lines are too involved and their combination needs to be very carefully balanced and pointed so that the story line is made clear. CONTENTS: A health to the nut-brown lass An ape, a lion, a fox and an ass As Roger last night At the close of the evening Bring the bowl and cool Nantz Call for the reck’ning Come let us drink Come to my hearts Down with Bacchus Drink on Full bags God save our sovreign Charles Great Apollo and Bacchus He that drinks is immortal Here’s a health, pray let it pass about Here’s that will challenge I gave her cakes If all be true that I do think Is Charleroy’s siege come to? Jack thou’rt a toper Let the grave folks go preach Let us drink to the blades My lady’s coachman John My wife has a tongue Now England’s great council Now we are met Of all the instruments Once in our lives Once, twice, thrice, I Julia tried One industrious insect Pale faces, stand by Pox on you for a fop Prithee ben’t so sad and serious Room for th’express Since the Duke is returned Since time so kind to us does prove Since women so false Sir Walter enjoying his damsel Soldier take off thy wine Sum up all the delights The Macedon youth The Miller’s Daughter ‘Tis easy to force ‘Tis too late for the coach ‘Tis women makes us love To all lovers of music To thee and to a maid Tom making a manteau True Englishmen drink Under a green elm Under this stone When V and I together meet Who comes there? Wine in a morning Would you know how we meet Young Colin cleaving of a beam Young John the gardener