Michael Ball plays Purcell in this 1995 British historical film reconstructing the life of Henry Purcell.

In 1960s, a British playwright attempts to reconstruct the life of real life 17th century English composer Henry Purcell even though little is known about him. Purcell’s life is reenacted and his music performed.

Director Tony Palmer  “England, my England: ‘They actually built a sort-of London for me to burn down. What heaven!’

From the Gramophone: https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/how-we-made-england-my-england-they-actually-built-a-sort-of-london-for-me-to-burn-down-what-heaven:

First the music. It had to be of the highest quality, and John Eliot (Gardner) was the obvious choice. ‘I hate you,’ was his opening remark when I went to pitch the idea to him. Apparently when we had been at Cambridge together some 30-plus years earlier, I had written a sniffy review of his first attempt at conducting the Monteverdi Vespers. He had never forgiven me, until I produced at enormous expense a lacquered and mounted copy of the said review which was not half as bad as he had remembered. He and I were suddenly ‘friends’, but my God he was difficult. We agreed all the music should be pre-recorded and he chose all the soloists (magnificent) and of course his brilliant choir. We opted to record in Air Studios in Hampstead, and at one particular session recording the Queen Mary Funeral March he became increasingly tetchy because the open-trombone player, David Blackadder, was (according to JEG) not playing in tune. A shouting match ensued …