Ramon Vargas

Parry enjoyed an association with the Herbert family, notably with his school-friend George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke. His marriage to Herbert’s sister Maude, an alliance that won the disapproval of his mother-in-law, Lady Herbert, had various consequences. In the first place Parry was obliged to earn a living and this he attempted, with his father’s help, ro work for a bank. His wife’s variable state of health was to cause continuing worry and difficulties that seemed to impede his musical interests, which remained dominant. Above all, in London he made acquaintance of the pianist and Wagnerian Edward Dannreuther, who became his friend, teacher and adviser.

In 1877, after a winter spent impatiently in Cannes for his wife’s health, Parry gave up his position at the bank. In addition to the income settled on his wife by her family, he had been making a living from his contribution of articles for Grove’s new dictionary of music and musicians. In 1880 Dannreuther played Parry’s Piano Concerto in F sharp major, a choice of key that did not endear him to the orchestra, at the Crystal Palace and success here was followed by a cantata based on Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound for the Gloucester Festival, where it was performed in 1882. At the end of the same year he was invited by Grove to join the new Royal College of Music as Professor of Musical History and shortly afterwards was offered an Honorary Doctorate in Music at Cambirdge, where Prometheus Unbound had been performed in 1881 under Stanford. His First Symphony, for which Richter had eventually found no time in his London concert season, was given with some success in Birmingham.

Church Music

Anthems and service-settings by Parry for the Anglican liturgy remain a part of cathedral repertoire, as do a number of well known hymn-tunes.

Choral and Vocal Music

Parry's setting of Milton's Blest Pair of Sirens remains a staple item in amateur choral repertoire in England, while part-songs and solo songs also retain an occasional and deserved place in vocal repertoire.

Orchestral Music

Parry's five symphonies are seldom heard, but the English Suite and Lady Radnor's Suite, both for string orchestra, make a useful addition to English string orchestra repertoire.