Hubert Parry

Hubert Parry (1848–1918) was an English composer, teacher and music historian, widely regarded as a central figure in the late-Victorian and Edwardian revival of English classical music. In 1895 he became director of the Royal College of Music in London, a post he held until 1908, during which he taught and influenced a generation of British composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frank Bridge and John Ireland.

Parry's musical style drew on both English choral and organ traditions and continental influences absorbed through his education, reflecting the oratorio-centred repertoire of English provincial music festivals as well as Anglican church music. He is best remembered today for «Jerusalem», a setting of William Blake's poem that became one of the best-known pieces of English choral music, and for «I Was Glad», a coronation anthem still performed at British royal ceremonies. His output also includes numerous other choral and vocal works exploring English literary texts.

Parry resigned from the Royal College of Music in 1908 due to declining health and died in October 1918 after contracting Spanish flu. His legacy endures through both his compositions, which remain staples of English choral repertoire, and his role as an educator who helped shape the next generation of British composers.