A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Parry, Joseph
PARRY, Joseph, Mus. Doc., born at Merthyr Tydvil, May 21, 1841, of poor Welsh parents, the mother a superior woman with much music in her nature. There is a great deal of singing and brass-band-playing among the Welsh workmen, and at chapel and elsewhere the boy soon picked up enough to show that he had a real talent. At 10 however he was forced to go to the puddling furnaces and stop all education of any kind. In 1853 his father emigrated to the United States, and in 1854 the family followed him. After a few years Joseph returned from America, and then received some instruction in music from John Abel Jones of Merthyr and John Price of Rhymney. In 1862 he won prizes at the Llandudno Eisteddfod. He then went again to America, and during his absence there a prize was adjudged to him at the Swansea Eisteddfod of 1863, for a harmonised hymn tune.
Its excellence roused the attention of Mr. Brinley Richards, one of the musical adjudicators of the meeting, and at his instance a fund was raised for enabling Parry to return to England and enter the Royal Academy of Music. The appeal was well responded to by Welshmen here and in the States, and in Sept. 1868 he entered the Academy and studied under Sterndale Bennett, Garcia, and Steggall. He took a bronze medal in 1870, and a silver one in 1871, and an overture of his to 'The Prodigal Son' (Mab Afradlon) was played at the Academy in 1871. He was appointed Professor of Music at the University College, Aberystwith, and soon after took his Mus. Bac. degree at Cambridge, proceeding, in May 1878, to that of Mus. Doc. at the same University. An opera of his named 'Blodwen,' founded on an episode in early British history, was performed at Aberdare in 1878 and shortly afterwards at the Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill. He has lately published an oratorio entitled 'Emmanuel,'—words by Dr. W. Rees and Prof. Rowlands which was performed at S. James's Hall, May 12, 1880, and which from the favourable notices of the press appears to be a work of great, though unequal, merit.