Parry, Sir Hubert (1848–1918). Together with Charles Stanford, whose music he detested, Parry inspired what is called the ‘English musical renaissance’ of the later 19th cent. This was despite an unpromising educational background—philistine Eton—and a talent which was not of the very highest class. That talent none the less produced some fine second-rank works, of which his Fourth Symphony, Piano Quartet, and shorter choral settings are perhaps the best. Parry succeeded Grove as director of the Royal College of Music in 1894. He is best known for the tune he wrote for Blake's ‘Jerusalem’, first performed at a patriotic concert in 1916, much to his unease, for he was not a tub-thumper. Later he was delighted when Millicent Fawcett asked if it could be adopted as the suffragist anthem. His radicalism did not, however, prevent his rising to the top of the British musical establishment, from which position he helped Elgar, who was a tub-thumper, and the greater composer of the two.

Bernard Porter

Parry, Sir (Charles) Hubert ( Hastings) (1848–1918) English composer. His mastery of choral music is best shown in Blest Pair of Sirens (1887). He is well known for Jerusalem (1916). He also wrote many songs, five symphonies and an opera.