Hubert Parry

**Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet** (born Bournemouth, 27 February 1848; died Rustington, near Worthing, Sussex, 7 October 1918) was an English composer. His music influenced other English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams.  Parry wrote a great deal of music, but by far the best known piece he wrote is the song _Jerusalem_.  Another piece which is often sung is the anthem _I was glad_ written for the coronation of Edward VII.

## His early life

Parry was born into a rich family.  He went to school in Eton and got his music degree while he was still there.  He then went to Oxford to study.  He learned from the English-born composer Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart, and with William Sterndale Bennett and the pianist Edward Dannreuther in London.  He started to compose a lot of chamber music which was first performed at Dannreuther’s house.  He became famous in 1880 when Dannreuther played his piano concerto and his choral work _Prometheus Unbound_ was performed at the Gloucester Festival.  Other choirs started to ask him to write music for them.  One of his best choral pieces was the ode _Blest Pair of Sirens_ (1887).  Other choral works include _Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day_ (1889), the oratorios _Judith_ (1888) and _Job_ (1892).  “Judith” includes a tune which became a well-loved hymn tune called “Repton” sung in churches to the words “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”.

His orchestral works from this period include four symphonies, a set of Symphonic Variations in E minor, the _Overture to an Unwritten Tragedy_ (1893) and the _Elegy for Brahms_ (1897). He also wrote for the Greek play  'The Birds' by Aristophanes.

## Mid career

As Parry became more famous he got many invitations to important jobs.  He started teaching at the Royal College of Music in 1884 and became its director in 1894, a post he held until his death. In 1900 he succeeded John Stainer as professor of music at Oxford University.   In 1908 his doctor advised him to resign from  his Oxford job.

## Later years

During the last decade of his life he wrote some of his best works, including the _Symphonic Fantasia '1912_' (also called _Symphony No. 5_), the _Ode on the Nativity_ (1912), _Jerusalem_ (1916) and the _Songs of Farewell_ which includes the song “My Soul, there is a Country”.  These were songs about the needless suffering in the war. He died of influenza in Rustington in West Sussex and is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

## His influence

Parry had a lot of influence on English music in the 20th century.  This was not just because of his music, but also through his teaching and his writings about music.  The composers he liked best and who influenced his style were Bach and Brahms.  His music is firmly tonal (always in clear major or minor keys), and Elgar and Vaughan Williams learned a lot from studying his music.

Parry was a man who always liked to help people, and so he took on a great deal of work, which did not do his health much good.  When he had free time he enjoyed driving fast cars and sailing.

He was made a knight, and the first Baronet of Highnam in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1902.

The house in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth where he was born is marked with a blue plaque.

## References

The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians ed Stanley Sadie (1980)