(b London, 3 Jan 1810; d East Molesey, Surrey, 20 Feb 1879). Welsh pianist and singer, son of john Parry (ii). He studied the harp under Bochsa and in May 1825 appeared as a performer on that instrument. His principal gifts, however, were as a pianist and, above all, as a baritone and entertainer. His voice was rich, though not powerful, and was at its best in a comic vein or in simple ballads. In 1833 he went to Italy, living for some time at Naples where he learnt from Lablache. At his benefit concert in June 1836 he gave the first public indication in England of the extraordinary nature of his comic talent, by joining Maria Malibran in Mazzinghi's duet When a little farm we keep, and mimicking Harley. In the same year he appeared in his father's Sham Prince, in Hullah's Village Coquettes and other pieces. In 1837 he gave his Buffo Trio Italiano (accompanying himself on the piano), in which he successfully imitated Grisi, Ivanov and Lablache. In 1840 he introduced Wanted, a Governess (with words by George Dubourg), the success of which induced him to abandon serious and devote himself to comic singing. In 1849 he gave up concert singing and produced an entertainment, Notes, Vocal and Instrumental, written by Albert Smith, in which he exhibited a large number of his own watercolour paintings, and which was very successful. He gave similar entertainments in 1850 and 1852. He had long been a victim of fits of nervous hysteria; in 1853 these became so bad that he was compelled to retire from public performance. He became organist of St Jude's, Southsea, and practised as a teacher. He made several brief returns to the stage, the last at the Gaiety Theatre on 7 February 1877. Parry composed or compiled a large number of songs, of which 34 are listed by Boase (DNB). He also wrote a few glees and a good deal of dance music for the piano.
DNB (G.C. Boase)
C. Scott and C. Howard: The Life and Reminiscences of E.L. Blanchard (London, 1891), i, 260, 338; ii, 437, 457, 464–5, 484
C.B. Andrews and J.A. Orr-Ewing: Victorian Swansdown: Extracts from the Early Travel Diaries of John Orlando Parry (London,1935)
P.A. Scholes, ed.: The Mirror of Music 1844–1944 (London, 1947/R), 509–10
W.H. HUSK/NICHOLAS TEMPERLEY