John Parry (Bardd Alaw)

John Parry (February 18 1776 – April 8 1851), commonly known by his bardic name "Bardd Alaw", was a Welsh harpist and composer.

Parry was born in Denbigh, the son of a stonemason. In 1793 he joined the Denbighshire volunteers’ band, later becoming its conductor. In addition to the harp, he was a noted flageolet player. In 1807 he settled in London, where his son, the entertainer John Orlando Parry, was born. At a concert at Covent Garden, in the same year, he performed on two flageolets set together in frame. It is thought that this inspired the flageolet-maker William Bainbridge to invent his double-flageolet [ [http://www.flageolets.com/articles/onflageolets.php John Parry, "On Flageolets", Harmonicon (Part II), 1830, pg. 499-500] The Pleasant Companion-The Flageolets Site] . Parry subsequently became this instrument's most famous player, teacher and proponent [ [http://flageolets.com/biographies/parry.php Biography of John Parry] The Pleasant Companion-The Flageolets Site] . From about 1809 he was musical director at Vauxhall Gardens, and composed much of the music performed there.

The name "Bardd Alaw" was given him at the Welshpool eisteddfod of 1820, of which he was musical director. In the same year, he launched Cymdeithas y Canorion, to encourage singing to harp accompaniment. His associates included Lady Llanover, at whose house he was a guest, Felicia Hemans, with whom he collaborated, and Maria Jane Williams, who worked with him on "The Welsh Harper".

On 24 May 1826, a benefit concert was held by the Society of Cymmrodorion on Parry's behalf. During the 1830s and 1840s he was a regular adjudicator at eisteddfodau.

Notes

Works

Written

*"The Ancient Britons’ Martial Music" (1804)
*"Welsh Melodies" (1809)
*"An Account of the Rise and Progress of the Harp" (1834)
*"An Account of the Royal Musical Festival Held in Westminster Abbey in 1834" (1834)

ongs

*"Jenny Jones"
*"Oh, Let the Kind Minstrel"

Airs

*"Gwenynen Gwent"
*"Ap Shencyn"
*"St. David's Day"

ources

* [http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s-PARR-JOH-1776.html Welsh Biography Online]