542 Sir Alexander C. Mackenzie [May 23^ 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, May 2'^, 1919. 



Dr. Henry E. Armstronq, LL.D. F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



Sir Alexander C. Mackenzie, Mus.Doc. D.C.L. LL.D. M.R.I., 

 Principal of the Royal Academy of Music. 



Hubert Hastings Parry: 

 His Work and Place among British Composers. 



Before saying more, let me gratefully acknowledge the fact that 

 this famous Institution, primarily devoted to the advancement of 

 Science, has at no time in its history overlooked or neglected that of 

 the Arts. We owe particular thanks, because it has during a long 

 period of years shown a most generous and very practical apprecia- 

 tion of music by extending to its prominent representatives the 

 welcome privilege of speaking here. It is just one hundred and 

 fifteen years since Dr. Crotch was invited to give the first course of 

 lectures on music, and without attempting to enumerate all the links 

 in the long chain, I will only add that the honour of d-elivering the 

 first Friday Discourse fell (in 1866) to my predecessor, Sir George 

 Macfarren. 



Sir Hubert Parry, who frequently lectured in this room, ended 

 his one and only Discourse (1890), " Evolution in Music " being the 

 subject, with these words : 



" There still are martyrs who sacrifice their lives to ideals, and 

 look for neither popularity nor pay ; and it is still possible in music 

 to write what the present generation will take no notice of, but the 

 next will cherish," 



And I can find no better or more apt a starting-point than that 

 significant sentence. 



It has been urged that it is not for those of his own generation 

 to attempt adjudgment of the work, or to speculate upon its future 

 place, of so outstanding a figure in contemporary art as that of 

 Hubert Parry. 



Although approached with diffidence, I am not sufficiently timid 

 to forbear the endeavour. 



To speak of a so recently lost comrade would have proved 

 infinitely more trying, had not the preparation of my theme necessi- 

 tated a re-reading of the familiar scores ; and so strongly stamped is 



