Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695), was an English composer. Although incorporating Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, Purcell's legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers; no other native-born English composer approached his fame until Edward Elgar.

The "operatic" hit of the last decade of the seventeenth century in London was the work of a composer already being acknowledged England's best ever and the poet (John Dryden) who then and now is considered the best of his century. Technically, the work is called a "semi-opera," as it was a mixture of spoken passages and musical ones. The English were not ready to embrace full-length grand operas in the French or Italian styles in their own language.

It is set in the time of King Arthur's battles against the Saxon King Oswald (and his Wizard Merlin against Oswald's wizard Osmond). Each scene is full of action, be it ritual, pageantry, battle, or scenes of magic, and all the music flows directly from the action in a convincing manner. The dramatic crux of the story is Arthur's wooing of the blind Queen Emmeline. (It is a peculiar convention of semi-operas of the time that the two leading characters do not sing, but this was not a disadvantage as then many of the leading singers were not convincing actors.)

The production was by the Theatre Royal company at Dorset Garden on the Thames at Blackfriars, which had the stage machinery needed for the fast and elaborate special effects and scene changes.

"What Power Art Thou" (AKA The Cold song) is formed on the lyrics from John Dryden (1631 - 1700): "What power art thou, who from below. Hast made me rise unwillingly and slow. From beds of everlasting snow? See'st thou not how stiff and wondrous old. Far unfit to bear the bitter cold,I can scarcely move or draw my breath? Let me, let me freeze again to death."

Although originally written for Opera, I created this Interpretation of "What Power art thou, who from below" from "King Arthur" (Z.628 Act III Scene 2 No. 22) for Oboe, Bassoon & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).