The English symphony song was a musical genre of baroque music best known in the compositions of Henry Purcell and his contemporaries including his teacher John Blow.
In the symphony song voices and continuo were enriched with ritornelli for violins or a pair of recorders.
[1] Among the earliest symphony songs are four published by Oxford composer Henry Bowman in 1677.
[3] Purcell's symphony songs were probably written for performance by members of the Private Music in the royal apartments.
[4] Examples of symphony songs include the symphony anthems of Pelham Humfrey, and eight extant works by Purcell including "How pleasant is this flowery plain", "Go Perjured Man" and "If Ever I more Riches did Desire."