Music historians have announced the discovery of previously unknown compositions by Henry Purcell, the 17th-century English composer whose output has long been thought to be fully documented.

A printed song titled As soon as day began to peep was found among legal warrants held in the Worcestershire County Records archives. It is believed to have been written for a 1691 play, Love for Money, by Thomas D’Urfey.

Henry Purcell

Nine keyboard pieces have also been discovered among records held in Norfolk, some by Purcell and others by his contemporary John Blow. Three are in Purcell’s own hand.

The manuscript, bound in leather, had been repurposed in the early 19th century, with sheets once intended for music notation reused as part of a town-council index. Among the contents are early versions of Purcell’s G minor suite.

Speaking to the Guardian, Stephen Rose, Professor of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Both [discoveries] give important insights into the type of music Purcell was writing in the last five years of his short life.”

Purcell died in 1695, aged 36, having composed...