Jerusalem
Hubert Parry Lyrics
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green
And was the holy lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills
Bring me my arrows of desire
Bring me my spears o'clouds unfold
Bring me my chariot of fire
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
'Til we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land
'Til we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land
Contributed by Savannah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (February 27, 1848 – October 7, 1918) was an English composer, probably best known for his setting of William Blake's poem, Jerusalem, the coronation anthem I was glad and the hymn tune Repton set to Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
Born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, and brought up at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, he was the son of an amateur artist, and was educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He studied with the English-born composer Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart Read Full BioSir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (February 27, 1848 – October 7, 1918) was an English composer, probably best known for his setting of William Blake's poem, Jerusalem, the coronation anthem I was glad and the hymn tune Repton set to Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
Born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, and brought up at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, he was the son of an amateur artist, and was educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He studied with the English-born composer Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart, and with William Sterndale Bennett and the pianist Edward Dannreuther in London. His first major works appeared in 1880: a piano concerto and a choral setting of scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound. The first performance of the latter has often been held to mark the start of a "renaissance" in English classical music. Parry scored a greater contemporary success, however, with the ode Blest Pair of Sirens (1887) which established him as the leading English choral composer of his day. Among the most successful of a long series of similar works were the Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day (1889), the oratorios Judith (1888) and Job (1892), the psalm-setting De Profundis (1891) and The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1905). 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).
Parry joined the staff of the Royal College of Music in 1884 and was appointed its director in 1894, a post he held until his death. In 1900 he succeeded John Stainer as professor of music at Oxford University. His later music includes a series of six "ethical cantatas", experimental works in which he hoped to supersede the traditional oratorio and cantata forms. They were generally unsuccessful with the public, though Elgar admired The Vision of Life (1907) and The Soul's Ransom (1906) has had several modern performances. He resigned his Oxford appointment on doctor's advice in 1908 and in the last decade of his life produced some of his finest works, including the Symphonic Fantasia '1912' (also called Symphony No. 5), the Ode on the Nativity (1912), Jerusalem (1916) and the Songs of Farewell (1916–1918).
Influenced as a composer principally by Bach and Brahms, Parry evolved a powerful diatonic style which itself greatly influenced future English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams. His own full development as a composer was almost certainly hampered by the immense amount of work he took on, but his energy and charisma, not to mention his abilities as a teacher and administrator, helped establish art music at the centre of English cultural life. He collaborated with the poet Robert Bridges, and was responsible for many books on music, including The Evolution of the Art of Music (1896), the third volume of the Oxford History of Music (1907) and a study of Bach (1909).
The site of his house in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, next door to The Square is marked with a blue plaque.
Born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, and brought up at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, he was the son of an amateur artist, and was educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He studied with the English-born composer Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart Read Full BioSir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (February 27, 1848 – October 7, 1918) was an English composer, probably best known for his setting of William Blake's poem, Jerusalem, the coronation anthem I was glad and the hymn tune Repton set to Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
Born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, and brought up at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, he was the son of an amateur artist, and was educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He studied with the English-born composer Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart, and with William Sterndale Bennett and the pianist Edward Dannreuther in London. His first major works appeared in 1880: a piano concerto and a choral setting of scenes from Shelley's Prometheus Unbound. The first performance of the latter has often been held to mark the start of a "renaissance" in English classical music. Parry scored a greater contemporary success, however, with the ode Blest Pair of Sirens (1887) which established him as the leading English choral composer of his day. Among the most successful of a long series of similar works were the Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day (1889), the oratorios Judith (1888) and Job (1892), the psalm-setting De Profundis (1891) and The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1905). 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).
Parry joined the staff of the Royal College of Music in 1884 and was appointed its director in 1894, a post he held until his death. In 1900 he succeeded John Stainer as professor of music at Oxford University. His later music includes a series of six "ethical cantatas", experimental works in which he hoped to supersede the traditional oratorio and cantata forms. They were generally unsuccessful with the public, though Elgar admired The Vision of Life (1907) and The Soul's Ransom (1906) has had several modern performances. He resigned his Oxford appointment on doctor's advice in 1908 and in the last decade of his life produced some of his finest works, including the Symphonic Fantasia '1912' (also called Symphony No. 5), the Ode on the Nativity (1912), Jerusalem (1916) and the Songs of Farewell (1916–1918).
Influenced as a composer principally by Bach and Brahms, Parry evolved a powerful diatonic style which itself greatly influenced future English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams. His own full development as a composer was almost certainly hampered by the immense amount of work he took on, but his energy and charisma, not to mention his abilities as a teacher and administrator, helped establish art music at the centre of English cultural life. He collaborated with the poet Robert Bridges, and was responsible for many books on music, including The Evolution of the Art of Music (1896), the third volume of the Oxford History of Music (1907) and a study of Bach (1909).
The site of his house in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, next door to The Square is marked with a blue plaque.
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Queenievenus Pluto
‘Jerusalem’
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
marvinc999
@philip013
"Maybe another democratic vote is the way forward."
BRILLIANT idea.
In fact, we could have one every six months - to reflect 'public opinion' more accurately.
Or maybe every month ?
Forever and ever.......................................until EVERYONE agrees on the result.
Apologies - but I thought we HAD a 'democratic vote' back IN 2016, even if most Remainers didn't-know-what-they-were-voting-for (and still don't, it seems).
marvinc999
Rolf Hendrik -
"So sad that half of the UK ...."
Don't worry, Mate: the Remoaners will catch up with the rest of us eventually.............................!!
As will most of the the rest of 'Europe', of course.
But I'm sure France and Germany will get along just fine...........................
Rob Friar
As someone who lives in the U.S., this brings me to tears. I love the U.K. and am tremendously grateful for all it has given to my country.
JC
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 ❤ always
World Comics Review
You still owe us for that tea, though
ReadMyLisp
British history is American history.
WhoFlungDung
Chin up old chap! I can say with all honesty that Americans are proper decent people and know you'd be there for us in times of need as we would for you.
healthserve
American here. This song really tugs on my heart strings. Partly because it's so near and dear to England's heart, but also because sometimes music is just so perfect it's really emotional. (Yes, yes, I'm a crier). When it gets to "Oh, clouds unfold" I invariably tear up. What a perfect musical phrase! I sang it in a concert once and could barely get through that part.
Brian Woodford
It is an inspiring piece of music but sadly the sentiments expressed in the words have little place in the England of today.
DogWithWigWamz.
I have a similar feeling with the hymn " Abide with Me." I struggle, always, to get past "..... Oh, Thou Who Changest Not....` I wish Jerusalem was our English National Anthem.
pabmusic1
Parry was very reluctant to set it, because the first occasion was to raise funds for Fight For Right, an organisation to lobby the government not to seek peace with Germany. Parry was a (very) left-wing person who disliked the right-wing Fight For Right. He even suggest the organisers approach George Butterworth, but he'd left for France.
However, Parry wrote this, and when he showed it to the organisers he couldn't speak, but just pointed to "O clouds unfold!" as the passage that had really got to him.
To deaden the thought of writing it for Fight For Right Parry transferred the copyright to the Suffragette movement.
pete aplin
You should hear Paul Robesons version...what a voice, such timbre!