The Prince and the Composer-Friday 27 May

[ardcarp]

Presumably Charles' taste in music is as conservative as in architecture. I do hope this conservatism will not confine the programme's horizons to Jerusalem, Dear Lord and Father (quoted in RT) or even I was Glad.

From memory, I think Parry was a 'gentleman composer', ie one who was financially secure and didn't have to make the choice between working or starving in a garret.

Interesting to speculate on works Charles might include. I'll start off with a dim recollection of a charming operetta (was it The Pied Piper?) which I heard done by the choristers of Exeter about a billion years ago.

[ardcarp]

Should have mentioned it's on TV... BBC4

[rauschwerk]

From memory, I think Parry was a 'gentleman composer', ie one who was financially secure and didn't have to make the choice between working or starving in a garret.

So was Vaughan Williams, so I don't think that proves anything. He and Elgar both had great respect for Parry's achievements, which go well beyond his compositions.

[rauschwerk]

Does anyone here know his Shulbrede Tunes (1911-14) for piano solo? Many years ago I was persuaded to perform two or three of these and much enjoyed the experience. Perhaps the unpretentious title counts against them for some people.

[salymap]

From my early hire library days I remember the following:- 2 suites for string orchestra, 'Lady Radnor suite' and 'English Suite'. Choral works:- 'Blest Pair of Sirens','Ode on St Cecilia's Day',Pied Piper of Hamelin',hired by mostly amateur orchestras etc even 50/60 years ago. Have heard 'Shulbrede Tunes', long ago, alas.

[David Underdown]

Jessica Duchen had an interesting article about this inthe Indie a few days ago. Don't have a link to hand at the moment

[ardcarp]

#3 I wasn't for a moment wishing to underestimate Parry as a composer...nor for that matter as a writer and educator. We all love 'Hear my words' and the Songs of Farewell. But he wasn't hugely prolific. Of course one can admire a composer for many reasons, and one man's [read woman's] reason is as good as another's. I just wonder if HRH likes Parry for the same reasons I do.

[Serial_Apologist]

Will be interesting to find out. I don't think we've heard Charles talking about music before. I don't believe his tastes coincided with Princess Di's!

[french frank]

Jessica Duchen had an interesting article about this inthe Indie a few days ago. Don't have a link to hand at the moment

'Tis here.

[ardcarp]

Thanks ff. A good article, pointing out that Parry was a liberal humanist and that 'Jerusalem' was actually written with women's suffrage in mind. Unfortunately Blake's words need to be read with an understanding of exactly WHO it was that wanted to build a new Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land. It certainly wasn't a load of fascist jingoists.

Slightly off topic, it always irks me that "I vow to thee my country" is regarded as an uber-patriotic rant. One only has to begin the second verse (But there's another country) to realise that it's all about the fact that love of country takes second place to the Kingdom of Heaven.

End of sermon.

[ardcarp]

Discussion seems to have switched to Platform3.... between people who have just watched the programme....and seems to revolve around whether HRH was a spare part or not. I couldn't possibly comment. :cool2:

[french frank]

I think the best thing is to close this thread and cross refer to this one over on the Platform 3 thread.