# Sir Hubert Parry



## Mirror Image

The importance of Hubert Parry to the renaissance of English musical life is often underestimated, but like his equally great colleague in that endeavor, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Parry is more often found in music encyclopedias than on the programs of modern orchestras. His profound influence on generations of composers, exerted during his years as director of the Royal College of Music, qualifies him as a genuine paterfamilias to music in the British Isles.

Parry's family was distinguished. His father, Thomas Gambier Parry, was a director of the East India Company; Thomas' great-uncle was Lord Gambier, Admiral of the Fleet. Salt water was, as it were, in Parry's blood, and one of his lifelong favorite recreations was piloting his own seaworthy yacht.

Parry must have seemed unusually talented for a young man of his day. One summer while at Eton, Parry had to travel to Stuttgart in order to study composition with the English pedagogue Henry Hugo Pierson, who had left England for an artistic climate more congenial to his endeavors. While still at Eton, Parry earned the Oxford bachelor of music degree, subsequently entering Exeter College at Oxford. His marriage to Maude Herbert, sister of his school chum George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke, forced him to seek nonmusical work with Lloyd's register in London while establishing himself as a composer, but it was while working in London that he met and allied himself with teacher and pianist Edward Dannreuther, who was a great influence on the young man, arranging for private performances of much of Parry's early chamber music, and introducing him to the music of Wagner by procuring for Parry tickets for the second ever performance at Bayreuth of the Ring. Dannreuther was the pianist at Parry's first public triumph, a performance of his Piano Concerto in F sharp major at the Crystal Palace in 1880.

Parry made his mark at the many choral society festivals throughout England, with 1880's Scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Bound, Blest Pair of Sirens (1887; to words of Milton), a setting of Milton's L'allegro ed il penseroso (1890), the oratorio Job (1892; considered by some to be his masterpiece of the 1890s), and the sublime Invocation to Music, with words by Robert Bridges (1895). In these works, Parry came up with a tangible English style, all the more noteworthy for its originality and wit.

Parry got in on the ground floor when it came to creating a viable musical education establishment for England, joining the staff of the Royal College of Music upon its opening in 1883. Eleven years later he succeeded Sir George Grove as the RCM's director. Parry also was Choragus at Oxford, beginning in 1883, and in 1900 took John Stainer's place as professor of music there. Parry wrote extensively and quite vigorously about music, in 1893's The Art of Music, Style in Musical Art (1911), and the unpublished Instinct and Character. He also wrote an excellent critical biography of J.S. Bach (1909), and was responsible for the third volume of the Oxford History of Music, Music of the Seventeenth Century.

Toward the end of his life, Parry was honored with knighthood and a baronetcy, as well as the genuine affection of the many composers who had benefited from his prescient and understanding way with helping his students find their own voices. In 1908, a breakdown of health forced Parry to retire from his administrative posts, but instead of causing a cessation creative activity, this crisis actually brought about what is frequently described as his "Indian summer," in which some of his very finest music was written.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

I'm not sure if there's a composer guestbook for Parry, but I'll start a new one.

I have become quite enchanted with Parry's music lately. Yesterday, I listened to his complete symphonies and they were all outstanding. Today, I'm listening to his choral works. He was a remarkable composer.

Anyone else here a fan of this composer's music?


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## BuddhaBandit

That's a pretty weak article from AMG, but Parry himself is indeed an underrated composer. His works don't always hang together, but do contain some terrific passages. I like the English Suite a lot, which I have on my only Parry recording:


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## Habib

His music bores me to tears. The article makes it sound like he was a better teacher than composer.


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## Mirror Image

Habib said:


> His music bores me to tears. The article makes it sound like he was a better teacher than composer.


Parry's music bores you to tears? What have you heard?


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## Habib

It doesn't matter what I've heard, judging from your reply to my top twenty composers. I don't want to communicate with you if you're like that. Thanks but no thanks.


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## Mirror Image

Habib said:


> It doesn't matter what I've heard, judging from your reply to my top twenty composers. I don't want to communicate with you if you're like that. Thanks but no thanks.


 That's fine with me! See ya around...lol!


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## Praine

I have listened to this a couple days ago. Being a huge fan of Piano Concertos, I must say that Parry genuinely impressed me with his approach. Standford's part was also very good but that's a different story for a different day. 

I will be happy to have a few more recommendations for Parry recordings if anyone wants to be a pal and lay them on me.


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## Mirror Image

Reign of Praine said:


> I have listened to this a couple days ago. Being a huge fan of Piano Concertos, I must say that Parry genuinely impressed me with his approach. Standford's part was also very good but that's a different story for a different day.
> 
> I will be happy to have a few more recommendations for Parry recordings if anyone wants to be a pal and lay them on me.


I want to get this recording as it's the only recording available that I'm aware of Parry's "Piano Concerto," but those Hyperion recordings are so expensive.


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## Elgarian

BuddhaBandit said:


> I like the English Suite a lot, which I have on my only Parry recording:


That's a lovely recording. The suites are artfully self-conscious in a way, but thoroughly delightful. I remember reading somewhere that, close to the end of his life, Boult made a deliberate choice to record Parry's 5th symphony, such was his regard for it. The _Symphonic Variations_ on this disc is very fine, too.

Seems to me that a composer deserves to be remembered for his best work, not his relative failures, and I don't believe that Parry's symphonies (notably the later ones) deserve the neglect they've experienced.


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## BuddhaBandit

Mirror Image said:


> I want to get this recording as it's the only recording available that I'm aware of Parry's "Piano Concerto," but those Hyperion recordings are so expensive.


Try the Berkshire Record Outlet! That recording is only $6.99 there.

And yes, Elgarian, it is a great recording. I don't like the Symphonic Variations as much as the Suites, but the Variations are orchestrated very nicely.


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## handlebar

I own all of the Chandos recordings as well as the above quoted Piano concerto CD from Hyperion.
I will grant you that Parry was not one of the preeminent composers of the 19th century. But he certainly DID make his mark in the pedagogical world and also in the early renaissance of English music. He was writing symphonies in said style way before the early 20th century well known composers were.

I admire his symphonies and thank both Chandos and Naxos for their recordings as well as Lyrita's contribution.

Anyone who says that they dislike him and HAS NOT listened to the works is ignorant to the nth degree.
Just as a critic that declares a film horrid yet has not seen it. What a cop out.

Jim


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## Elgarian

handlebar said:


> I will grant you that Parry was not one of the preeminent composers of the 19th century. But he certainly DID make his mark in the pedagogical world and also in the early renaissance of English music. He was writing symphonies in said style way before the early 20th century well known composers were.


And he was a Nice Chap.

Here's a little item from my tiny collection of music memorabilia:


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## Mirror Image

Elgarian said:


> And he was a Nice Chap.
> 
> Here's a little item from my tiny collection of music memorabilia:


Hey that's pretty cool. Do you think that could be worth anything?


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## Elgarian

Mirror Image said:


> Hey that's pretty cool. Do you think that could be worth anything?


I suspect it's worth a great deal more to me than to anyone I might try to sell it to (if I was tempted to try, which I'm not).


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## Elgarian

Here's what amounts almost to a free gift for Parry fans at the Hyperion website. It's yours for a mere £2.40 in their 'bottom ten' sale, but you'll only have a couple of days to buy before it disappears off the list. I've had this CD for a while, myself - it's not profound, but very accessible, full of delights, and makes you feel better at the end than you did at the beginning. Tea and cucumber sandwiches music.










http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDH55266


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## Sloe

I am listening to his third symphony right now on the rado I mus say very beautiful music I have never heard of him before. It is always pleasant to get a nice surprise. Interesting person.


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## Orfeo

Sloe said:


> I am listening to his third symphony right now on the rado I mus say very beautiful music I have never heard of him before. It is always pleasant to get a nice surprise. Interesting person.


That symphony is wonderful, as is his Fifth.


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## regenmusic

Always loved the hymn, "Jerusalem."


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## Steatopygous

Somebody recommended to me a choral work by Parry appropriate to the death of a child, but I did not write it down. Does anyone know what it might have been?
Mind you, I haven't even Wiki'd Parry so I've been a bit lazy about this. But someone out there may instantly know what I'm asking about.


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