Yesterday we learned that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96. Today’s Beautiful Music is Henry Purcell’s Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, her ancestor. During the reign of Queen Mary in the late 17th century Purcell was the organist at Westminster Abbey, and he composed music for many royal functions. When the Queen died of smallpox on 28th December 1694 at age 32, Purcell composed music for funeral on March 5, 1695. Some of that music was played again for Purcell’s own funeral only a few months later.