description Judith (Parry) Overview
Judith is a biblical oratorio by Hubert Parry, composed for the Birmingham Festival in 1888. Its subject is Judith, the Jewish heroine who enters the camp of the Assyrian general Holofernes and kills him, an episode from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith. The work uses the large vocal and orchestral forces associated with the Victorian English festival tradition and forms part of Parry’s contribution to the nineteenth-century revival of English choral composition.
help Judith (Parry) FAQ
What biblical episode does Hubert Parry's Judith portray?
The oratorio follows Judith as she enters the camp of the Assyrian general Holofernes and kills him to save her people. Its main source is the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, so the story is religious and military at the same time.
When and where was Judith first performed?
Hubert Parry composed Judith for the Birmingham Festival in 1888. That places the work in the late Victorian English oratorio tradition, alongside large choral works written for major British festivals.
Is Judith a sacred oratorio or an opera?
It is an oratorio for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, not a staged opera. The story is carried through large choral scenes, solo episodes, and orchestral writing rather than through costumes and theatrical scenery.
How is Parry's Judith different from Handel's Judith?
Parry's work is a separate late Victorian English oratorio, while Handel's Judith is an earlier Italian-language work. Both draw on Judith and Holofernes, but they belong to different musical periods and use different dramatic styles.
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