Parry Songs of Farewell (1848 – 1918)

Parry was brought up at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, joining the staff of the Royal College of Music in 1884 and appointed its director in 1894, a post he held until his death. In 1900 he succeeded John Stainer as professor of music at Oxford University. He resigned his Oxford appointment on doctor's advice in 1908 and in the last decade of his life produced some of his finest works, including the Songs of Farewell (1916–1918).

Influenced as a composer principally by Bach and Brahms, Parry evolved a powerful diatonic style which itself greatly influenced future English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

The Songs of Farewell are one of Parry’s masterpieces for the choral medium. Across the six songs he approached new levels of musical expression and sensitivity to textual meaning and inflexion, something which had rarely been exceeded in English music at the time.

1. My soul, there is a country words by Henry Vaughan - SATB
2. I Know My Soul Hath Power words by John Davies - SATB
3. Never weather-beaten sail - words by Thomas Campion - SSATB
4. There Is An Old Belief - words by J. G. Lockhart - SSATBB
5. At the round earth's imagined corners - words by John Donne - SSAATTBB
6. Lord, let me know mine end - Psalm 39 - SATB.SATB