Blest pair of sirens
Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (February 27, 1848 – October 7, 1918) was… Read Full Bio ↴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, 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, 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.
Blest pair of sirens
Sir Hubert Parry Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Sir Hubert Parry:
I was glad I was glad when they said unto me, Let us…
Jerusalem And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's…
My Heart Is Like a Singing Bird My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is…
Songs of Farewell: No. 1. My soul there is a country My soul, there is a country Far beyond the stars, Where stan…
Songs of Farewell: No. 1. My soul, there is a country My soul, there is a country Far beyond the stars, Where stan…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Tom Boyer
This is a work of genius and Parry deserves so much more attention as a composer. English romanticism (like Russian romanticism) kind of got cast aside in the 20th century. The vocal writing here is just unbelievably clever and brilliant. Parry's Songs of Farewell are a great contrast to this -- they are written with such economy.
Kamio2629
¡Que magnífica composición! Es realmente conmovedora la evocación final a la "interminable mañana de luz". Extraordinario.
J. Marshall Bevil
It's a delight to see and hear a full-orchestral and choral performance on this forum once again. To reiterate what I said in connection with the earlier, now removed, video, this magnificent work is one of the great treasures of all choral literature. It also is a wonderful example of the close union between properly spoken English and the music of the British national composers from ca. 1870-1920 (i.e., Sullivan through the young Vaughan Wiliams). This piece is one of my dearest musical loves.
Sasha Del Mar
I am a chorister at Westminster Abbey and we performed in the last year's final service ever and nearly everyone cried
Bruno Oliveira
I bet you have no words to describe the moment, don't you? ;)
paperellino
wonderful testimony of that must be the life of a musician .... to crie, when music is so beautiful to enter in your body and soul
Ninja
Do you have recommendations for similar powerful and uplifting choiral pieces. This is beautiful.
Snookbone
Ok
Amelie Thrale
@Ninja te deum and i was glad by parry
Robert Johnson
Could there be anything more glorious. Parry at his best.