Parry, (Sir) (Charles) Hubert (Hastings) (
b Bournemouth, 1848;
d Rustington, Sussex, 1918). Eng. composer, teacher, and writer. Studied Oxford Univ. (co-founder of Mus. Club) with Sterndale Bennett and Macfarren. Entered business 1871 but 3 years later gave it up for mus. Studied pf. with E. Dannreuther, who introduced his pf. conc., 1880. His choral works, especially
Blest Pair of Sirens (1887), est. him, with Stanford, in the forefront of Brit. composers at a time when Brahms and Bach were the admired models. He wrote prolifically in several genres (composing an unprod. opera,
Guenever 1885–6), and exerted a beneficial influence on Eng. mus. through his educational work. He joined staff of RCM 1883, becoming dir. 1894 until death. Prof. of mus., Oxford Univ. 1900–8. His
Songs of Farewell are masterpieces of
a cappella writing and his settings of English poetry, in the sets known as the
English Lyrics, are extremely felicitous. In 1916 he wrote the unison setting of Blake's ‘Jerusalem’ which has become a nat. song like Elgar's ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. The scorn poured on Parry's choral works by Bernard Shaw put them into critical purdah for many years, but the best of them are re-emerging, to be regarded with delighted surprise, notably
The Soul's Ransom and the
Nativity Ode. His chamber music, too, amply rewards exploration. Wrote several books, among them
Studies of the Great Composers (1886),
The Evolution of the Art of Music (1896),
Style in Musical Art (1911),
J. S. Bach (1909). Knighted 1898, baronet 1903. Prin. comps.: OPERA:
Guenever (1885–6, rev. 1886).INCIDENTAL MUSIC:
The Birds (1883, rev. 1903);
The Frogs (1891, rev. 1909);
Hypatia (1893);
Agamemnon (1900);
The Clouds (1905);
The Acharnians (1914).ORCH.: syms. No.1 in G (1880–2), No.2 in F (‘Cambridge’) (1882–3, rev. 1887, 1895), No.3 in C (‘English’) (1887–9, rev. 1895, 1902), No.4 in E minor (1888–9, 2nd version 1909–10, rev. 1916), No.5 in B minor (‘1912’, orig.
Symphonic Fantasia) (1912);
Allegretto scherzando in E♭ (1867);
Intermezzo religioso (1868);
Concertstück in G minor (1877); pf. conc. in F♯ (1878–80, rev. 1895);
Suite Moderne (1886, rev. 1892);
Suite for str. in E minor (1892);
Overture to an Unwritten Tragedy (1893, rev. 1897, 1905);
Lady Radnor's Suite, str. (1894);
Symphonic Variations (1897);
Elegy for Brahms (1897);
From Death to Life, sym.-poem (1914);
An English Suite, str. (1890–1918).ORATORIOS & SACRED:
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A (1864);
Te Deum in E♭ (1873);
Judith, SATB soloists, ch., orch. (1888);
Ode on St Cecilia's Day, sop., bass, ch., org. (1889);
Job, sop., ten., 2 basses, ch., orch. (1892);
King Saul, SATB soloists, ch., orch. (1894);
Te Deum (1900);
The Love that casteth out fear, ch., orch. (1904);
The Soul's Ransom, sinfonia sacra, sop., bass, ch., orch. (1906);
Te Deum in D (Coronation) (1911);
Ode on the Nativity, sop., ch., orch. (1912).MOTETS & ANTHEMS:
De Profundis, sop., 12 vv., orch. (1891);
Crossing the Bar (1903);
Voces clamantium, sop., bass, ch., orch. (1903);
Beyond these voices there is peace, sop., bass, ch., orch. (1908);
Songs of Farewell (
My soul, there is a country, 1916,
I know my soul hath power, 1916,
Never weatherbeaten sail, 1916,
There is an old belief, 1916,
At the round earth's imagin'd corners, 1917,
Lord, let me know mine end, 1918);
I Was Glad, with processional music (1902, Coronation).SECULAR CHORAL:
Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, cont., ten., bass, ch., orch. (1880, rev. 1881, 1885);
The Glories of Our Blood and State, ch., orch. (1883, rev. 1908, 1914);
Blest Pair of Sirens, ch., orch. (1887);
L'Allegro ed Il Penseroso, sop., bass, ch., orch. (1890, rev. 1909);
The Lotos-Eaters, sop., ch., orch. (1892);
Invocation to Music, sop., ten., bass, ch., orch. (1895);
Ode to Music, sop., ten., bass, ch., orch. (1901);
War and Peace, SATB soloists, ch., orch. (1903);
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, ten., bass, ch., orch. (1905, rev. 1910);
The Vision of Life, sop., bass, ch., orch. (1907, rev. 1914);
The Chivalry of the Sea, ch., orch. (1916);
England, unison song (1916);
Jerusalem, choral song, unison vv., orch. (1916).CHAMBER MUSIC: nonet in B♭ for wind (1877); str. quintet in E♭ (1884, rev. 1896, 1902); pf. qt. in A♭ (1879); str. qts., No.1 in G minor (1867), No.2 in C minor (1868), No.3 in G (1878–80); pf. trios, No.1 in E minor (1877–8), No.2 in B minor (1884), No.3 in G (1884–90);
3 Movements, vn., pf. (1863);
2 Duettinos, vc., pf. (1868);
Romance in D, vn. (1866–8);
Allegretto pastorale in G, vn., pf. (1870);
6 Freundschaftslieder, vn., pf. (1872);
Fantasie-sonata in B minor, vn., pf. (1878); vc. sonata in A (1879);
Partita in D minor, vn., pf. (1877–86); vn. sonata in D minor (1875);
12 Short Pieces, vn., pf. (1895);
Suite in D, vn., pf. (1907);
Suite in F, vn., pf. (1907).PIANO:
Andante in C (1867);
Sonnets and Songs Without Words, Set I (1868), II (1867–75), III (1870–7);
7 Charakterbilder (1872);
Variations on an Air by Bach (1873–5); sonatas, No.1 in F (1877), No.2 in A (1876–7);
Theme and 19 Variations in D minor (1878);
10 Shulbrede Tunes (1914); Suite,
Hands Across the Centuries (1918).SONGS: Over 40 part-songs (1864–1918); over 100 songs for v. and pf., 74 of them in 12 sets of
English Lyrics.
