The King of England makes a documentary about a dead composer. It's actually good?!
Sir Hubert Parry is simultaneously one of Britain's best-known and least-known composers. Jerusalem is almost a national song, regularly performed at rugby grounds, schools, Women's Institute meetings and the Last Night of the Proms, while Dear Lord and Father of Mankind is one of Britain's best-loved hymns. Everyone knows the tunes, yet hardly anyone knows much about the man who wrote them. In this film, HRH The Prince of Wales, a long-standing enthusiast of Parry's work, sets out to discover more about the complex character behind it, with the help of members of Parry's family, scholars and performers. This feature-length documentary by the award-winning director John Bridcut offers fresh insight into the life and work of Hubert Parry through the unique perspective of HRH The Prince of Wales.
Direction
Bridcut's elegant, unhurried storytelling lets Parry breathe
Production
Rare access to royal and family archives feels genuinely exclusive
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Parry died during the 1918 flu pandemic, his funeral unmarked by the nation that now sings his hymns weekly. The irony is not lost here.
This was Charles's first major documentary project as Prince—part of his decades-long campaign to rehabilitate 'unfashionable' British composers. The man really said: fine, I'll do it myself.
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