Parry, Joseph

Parry, Joseph, Welsh composer; b. Merthyr Tydfil, May 21, 1841; d. Penarth, near Cardiff, Feb. 17, 1903. His parents emigrated to America, but he returned to Britain. He won Eisteddfod prizes for songs, and entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1868, studying under Bennett, Garcia, and Steggall; received his Mus.Bac. degree from Cambridge in 1871. He was prof. of music at the Univ. of Wales in Aberystwyth (1873–79). After receiving his Mus.D. from Cambridge (1878), he ran his own music school in Swansea (1881–88); subsequently lectured at the Univ. Coll. of South Wales and Monmouthshire in Cardiff. In addition to his dramatic works, he wrote some 400 hymn tunes, the most celebrated being Aberystwyth (1877). He also ed. and harmonized Cambrian Minstrelsie (6 vols., Edinburgh, 1893).

Works

dramatic: Opera: Blodwen (Aberdare, 1878); Virginia (Aberdare, 1883); Arianwen (Cardiff, 1890); Sylvia (Cardiff, 1895); King Arthur (1897); Ceridwen (Liverpool, 1900); The Maid of Cefn Ydfa (Cardiff, 1902). Oratorios: The Prodigal Son (Chester, 1866); Emmanuel (London, 1880); Saul of Tarus (Rhyl and Cardiff, 1892). cantatas: The Birds (Wrexham, 1873); Jerusalem (Cambridge, 1878); Joseph (Swansea, 1881); Nebuchadnezzar (London, 1884); Cambria (Llandudno, 1896). other: Syms.; overtures; String Quartet; anthems; songs; piano pieces.

Bibliography

E. Evans et al., Cofiant Dr. J. P. (Cardiff and London, 1921).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire