A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Parry, John (of Denbigh)
PARRY, John, born at Denbigh, North Wales, in 1776, received his earliest musical instruction from a dancing master, who taught him also to play the clarinet. In 1795 he joined the band of the Denbighshire militia, and in 1797 became master of it. In 1807 he resigned his appointment, and settled in London as a teacher of the flageolet, then greatly in vogue. In 1809 he was engaged to compose songs, etc., for Vauxhall Gardens, which he continued to do for several years afterwards, and also adapted English words to a selection of Welsh melodies. He composed the music for T. Dibdin's extravaganza, 'Harlequin Hoax; or, A Pantomime proposed,' 1814; 'Oberon's Oath,' 1816; 'High Notions, or, A Trip to Exmouth,' 1817; and adapted the music for 'Ivanhoe,' 1820; and 'Caswallon,' a tragedy, 1829. He was author as well as composer of the musical pieces, 'Fair Cheating,' 1814; 'Helpless Animals,' 1818; and 'Two Wives, or, A Hint to Husbands,' 1821. For very many years he conducted the Cymmrodorion and Eisteddvodau, or Congresses of Welsh Bards, which were held in various places in Wales, etc., and in 1821 he received the degree of 'Bardd Alaw,' or Master of Song. He was author of 'An Account of the rise and progress of the Harp'; 'An Account of the Royal Musical Festival held in Westminster Abbey in 1834' (of which he had been secretary); and 'Il Puntello, or, The Supporter,' containing the first Rudiments of Music. In June 1837 he gave a farewell concert, at which he sang his own ballad of 'Jenny Jones' (made popular by Charles Mathews the year before), accompanied on the harp by his son. From 1834 to 1848 he was concert music critic to 'The Morning Post.' He published a collection of Welsh Melodies, embodying the greater part of Jones's 'Relics of the Welsh Bards,' under the title of 'The Welsh Harper.' From. 1831 to Aug. 5, 1849, he was treasurer of the Royal Society of Musicians. He died April 8, 1851.
His son, John Orlando, born in London, Jan. 3, 1810, studied the harp under Bochsa, and in May, 1825, appeared (as Master Parry) as a performer on that instrument. He also became an excellent pianist. In 1831 he came forward as a barytone singer, chiefly of ballads accompanied by himself on the harp. At his benefit concert in June 1836 he gave the first public indication of the possession of that extraordinary vis comica by which he was afterwards so remarkably distinguished, by joining Madame Malibran in Mazzinghi's duet, 'When a little farm we keep,' and introducing an admirable imitation of Harley. Later in the same year he appeared upon the stage at the St. James's Theatre in Hullah's 'Village Coquettes' and other pieces. In the following year he gave his 'Buffo Trio Italiano' (accompanied by himself on the pianoforte), in which he successfully imitated Grisi, Ivanoff, and Lablache. In 1840 he introduced 'Wanted, a Governess' (words by George Dubourg), the success of which induced him to abandon serious, and devote himself wholly to comic, singing. The songs he selected differed materially from those of the immediately preceding generation in the absence of coarseness or vulgarity, and were consequently most favourably received. They comprised, among others, 'Wanted, a Wife,' 'Berlin Wool,' 'Blue Beard,' 'Matrimony,' 'Fayre Rosamonde,' and 'The London Season'; the words being mostly by Albert Smith and the music arranged by Parry himself. In 1849 he gave up concert singing and produced an entertainment written by Albert Smith, in which he exhibited a number of large water-colour paintings executed by himself, and which was very successful. He gave similar entertainments in 1850 and 1852. In 1853 ill health compelled him to retire from public performance, and he became organist of St. Jude's, Southsea, and practised as a teacher. In 1860 he again appeared in public at the entertainments of Mr. and Mrs. German Reed, but in 1869 ill health again necessitated his retirement. He took final leave of the public at a performance for his benefit at the Gaiety Theatre in 1877. He died at East Molesey, Feb. 20, 1879.[ W. H. H. ]