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Hubert Parry

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description Hubert Parry Overview

Hubert Parry was an English composer and academic who played a foundational role in the late 19th-century revival of British music. He served as the director of the Royal College of Music and later as a professor of music at the University of Oxford. As a composer, he is best remembered for his 1916 choral setting of William Blake's poem Jerusalem, which became a prominent British patriotic anthem. His body of work also includes five symphonies, several oratorios, and treatises on musical style.

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What is Hubert Parry best known for composing?

Hubert Parry is best known for the choral song “Jerusalem,” the anthem “I Was Glad,” and “Blest Pair of Sirens.” His hymn tune “Repton” is also used for “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.”

What was Hubert Parry's role at the Royal College of Music?

Parry became director of the Royal College of Music in 1895 and held the post until his death in 1918. He had earlier taught composition and musical history there under the institution's first director, George Grove.

Did Hubert Parry teach at Oxford University?

Yes. Parry served as Heather Professor of Music at the University of Oxford from 1900 to 1908 while continuing his wider work in British musical education.

When did Hubert Parry write “Jerusalem”?

Parry composed the familiar setting of “Jerusalem” in 1916, during the First World War. The words come from William Blake's poem, and the music later became a major English patriotic and ceremonial song.