IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 1249 Parry, MS 4811-4812; 4265; 4305-4338; 4764; 7278-7288
Held at: Royal College of Music
Title: PARRY, Sir (Charles) Hubert (Hastings) (1848-1918)
Date(s): 1876-1924
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 1 box, 3 files, 34 volumes
Name of creator(s): Parry | Sir | Charles Hubert Hastings | 1848-1918 | Knight | composer and musical writer
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Sir Hubert Parry, born Bournemouth, 27 Feb 1848; educated Twyford School, near Winchester, Eton College; B Mus, 1866; read law and modern history, Exeter College, Oxford; studied in Stuttgart with Henry Hugo Pierson, 1867; worked at Lloyd's of London as an underwriter; took lessons with William Sterndale Bennett and Edward Dannreuther; composed works for piano for concerts at Dannreuther's home during the 1870s; engaged by George Grove as sub-editor for the Dictionary of Music and Musicians, to which Parry contributed more than 100 articles; appointed by Grove as Professor of Musical History, Royal College of Music (RCM), 1883; during the 1880s created four symphonies and a symphonic suite and an unsuccessful attempt at opera; the success of his ode 'Blest Pair of Sirens' brought commissions from provincial festivals for choral music, including 'Judith' (1888), 'Ode on St Cecilia's Day' (1889), 'L'Allegro ed Il Pensieroso' (1890), 'The Lotos-Eaters', (1892), 'Job' (1892) and 'King Saul' (1894); worked with Robert Bridges for the Purcell bicentenary on the ode 'Invocation to Music', 1895; composed a setting of the Magnificat in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 1897; succeeded Grove as Director of the RCM, 1895; knighted, 1897; collaborated with Bridges on 'A Song of Darkness and Light' (1898); appointed Heather Professor of Music, Oxford, 1900 (held until 1908); created a baronet, 1902; composed 'ethical oratorios' 'Voces clamantium' (1903), 'The Love that Casteth out Fear' (1904), 'The Soul's Ransom' (1906), 'The Vision of Life' (1907); composed settings for Dunbar's 'Ode on the Nativity' (1912) and Bridges' 'The Chivalry of the Sea' (1916), and the motets 'Songs of Farewell' (1914-1915); died Rustington, Sussex, 7 October, 1918. Publications: these include, as well as his numerous articles for journals and for the Grove Dictionary, Studies of Great Composers (London, 1886); The Art of Music (London, 1893; enlarged as The Evolution of the Art of Music, London, 1896); Summary of the History and Development of Mediaeval and Modern European Music (London, 1893); Johann Sebastian Bach: the Story of the Development of a Great Personality (New York and London, 1909); Style in Musical Art (London, 1911) [collected Oxford lectures].
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers of Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, comprising:
Manuscripts of Parry's lectures on various musical subjects at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Institution, Oxford, Birmingham and Leeds, c1891-c1915 (MS 4305-4338, 4811-4812).
15 letters from Parry to Charles Stuart-Wortley, 1876-1907, the earlier letters relating mainly to social matters and containing advice from Parry on points of composition, the later letters relating to the business of the Council of the RCM (Stuart-Wortley was a member of the Council), particularly to appointments of staff and finances (MS 4764).
'History essays', rough examination notes on student's work, undated (MS 6937).
Letter from Parry to [R S] Thatcher, regarding a setting for ['Arthur'], 1910 (MS 6967).
Correspondence with Robert Bridges, 1895, concerning 'Invocation to Music' (MS 7278).
Manuscript draft of Parry's address as Director of the RCM, Jan 1901 (MS 7279).
DMus citations for Elgar and Glazunov [1907] and papers concerning RCM Patron's Fund [1904-1905], (MS 7280).
Correspondence with J F Bridge concerning 'I was glad', 1901-1902 (MS 7281).
Papers and correspondence with Kegan Paul Trench Trubner & Co. concerning Parry's book The art of music, 1896-1911 (MS 7282).
Correspondence with James Murray, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, 1902, regarding musical information for the dictionary (MS 7283).
4 letters from Hugh P Allen (mostly undated), including letters relating to Parry's election as an honorary member of the Cambridge University Musical Society, and to Parry's election to the Music Board of the RCM (MS 7284).
Correspondence between RCM, Repton School and Novello, publishers, concerning Repton School's use of a hymn tune from Parry's Judith, 1924 (MS 7285).
Miscellaneous drafts, letters and papers, 1898-1931, including various copies of Parry's letters as Director of the RCM, mainly in regard to honours, and correspondence with A P Watt, literary agent, 1916, regarding setting of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'For all we have and are' to music by Parry (MS 7286).
Letters concerning wills, properties and other legal matters, 1907-1924 (MS 7287).
Agreement with Pitman to print The aims and limits of musical education (MS 7288).
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Parry's lecture notes are arranged in 34 bound volumes (MS 4305-4338) and 2 files (MS 4811-4812). The remaining material is arranged in discrete files with separate RCM MSS references as given in scope and content.
Conditions governing access:
Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Brief entries are given in the RCM manuscript catalogues.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Parry's lecture notes (MS 4811-4812, 4305-4338) are presumed to have been left with RCM during Parry's time as Director. MS 4764were presented by R A Cecil, grandson of the first marriage of Lord Stuart of Wortley; MS 6967 was purchased from Mr Ben Hick, 31 Oct 1997; MS 7278-7288 were purchased at Sotheby's sale L09205, 21 May 1999.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
RCM holds musical scores by Parry.
Correspondence of Parry is held by Reading University Library (letters from Robert Bridges); Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections and Western Manuscripts (letters to Edward Dannreuther, Ref: MS Eng lett e 117); British Library, Music Collections (letters to F G Edwards, Ref: Eg MS 3090); Elgar Birthplace Museum (letters to Sir Edward Elgar); McMaster University Library (letters to William Hannam); British Library, Manuscript Collections holds correspondence with Macmillans (Ref: Add MS 55239) and letters to Sir Edward Walter Hamilton (Ref: Add MS 48621); Cambridge University: Fitzwilliam Museum (letters to W Barclay Squire); Royal Academy of Arts (letters to Helen Richmond, Ref: RI/3/4).
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Sources: National Register of Archives; article on Parry by Jeremy Dibble, Grove Dictionary of Music.
Date(s) of descriptions: Jun 2001