Parry: Songs of Farewell

Info & track listings

Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) is considered to have been one of the leaders (with Stanford) of the English musical renaissance in the 1880s. In his career as composer, scholar, and teacher, he influenced ‘not only his own students but the whole artistic life of his time’ [Frank Howes].

Despite a full career in public and educational life, Parry was a prolific composer. As well as the choral works for which he is most celebrated, he wrote 5 symphonies, incidental music for 3 of Aristophanes’ plays, significant works of chamber music, more than 100 songs, and some important works for organ.

The Rodolfus Choir was founded in 1983 as a youth choir, whose members, aged up to 25, are chosen from past and present students of the Eton Choral Courses. Each year these four summer courses attract some 250 young singers, and of these a dozen or so of the very best are invited to join the Rodolfus Choir.

Many of the singers are choral scholars, several are at music college, some are still at school, and many hope to make a career in music. They come from all over the country to sing for a few intensive days during the holidays.