Greg Hoar reflects on the coronation of King Edward VII where his grandfather sang in the first performance of Bournemouth-born Sir Hubert Parry’s famous anthem.
The text from Psalm 122, I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me, has been sung at every British coronation since Charles I in 1626, using different musical settings.
One of these was written by the Bournemouth-born composer Sir Hubert Parry, who was baptised in St Peter’s Church, Hinton Road in 1848 shortly after the death of his mother in childbirth. By 1901, Parry was director of The Royal College of Music and a Professor of Music at Oxford University when he was asked to provide a new musical setting for, I Was Glad for the coronation of a new king in a new century.
Parry’s composition reflects the era in which it was written with suitable pomp and majesty. The psalm words provided strong parallels: ‘into the house of the Lord’ for Westminster Abbey, and ‘Jerusalem’ for Great Britain itself. At the time, prior to the First World War, the British Empire was still very much intact, and Queen Victoria’s eldest son would be crowned King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as Emperor of India.
Organist and master of the choristers at Westminster Abbey for 27 years, Sir Frederick Bridge (an old friend of Parry’s) was well placed to lead the musical offering for Edward VII’s coronation. He was tasked with putting together the coronation ensemble of some 430 voices, the Westminster Abbey choir was to be supported by singers drawn from St Paul’s Cathedral, St George’s Chapel Windsor and The Chapels Royal choirs, among others. Bridge’s own childhood as a chorister and organ student at Rochester Cathedral, where his father had also been a lay clerk, was not forgotten. Four trebles from Rochester Cathedral choir were called to assist in the royal proceedings, including my grandfather, 12-year-old Edgar Walter Hoar, known by his family as Wally.
With the date for this lavish event scheduled for June 26, 1902; a massed choral rehearsal took place at Church House in the Abbey grounds on June 24. Shortly afterwards it was announced that the coronation had been postponed due to the King’s indisposition. A diagnosis revealed he was suffering from appendicitis and an emergency lifesaving operation was performed, reportedly on a table at Buckingham Palace, by Sir Frederick Treves (1853-1923), the Dorchester-born royal surgeon. With the King apparently well enough to smoke a cigar in bed the following day, Treves received a baronetcy and national acclaim. Treves, who was known for his rescue and subsequent study of Joseph Merrick (known as the Elephant Man), retired shortly after to write travel books, including the 1906 publication Highways and Byways in Dorset.
With the King well on his way to recovery, a revised coronation date of August 9 was announced. And so young Wally Hoar found himself bound once more for the great metropolis with three choral colleagues from Rochester Cathedral. They were provided with new instructions and a pass to attend a final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey on the eve of the great event. Come Coronation Day itself, Wally had to be robed and ready in the Abbey Chapter House by 9am, sharp.
A contemporary report of the service from The Musical Times reveals that, at the arrival of Queen Alexandra’s procession at the Abbey’s west door, the signal was given to commence the new setting of the anthem by Parry. All went well until the 'Vivat Rex Edwardus' (Long Live King Edward) was declaimed, at that point the King’s party had still not processed into view. I Was Glad continued to its conclusion after which the organist improvised for some minutes until the King and his cohort were spotted. At this point the ‘Vivats’ and the second half of the anthem were then repeated. Thus, my grandfather not only sang at the premier of a grand choral work at a coronation, but he also then sang half of it again for good measure. It must have been an extraordinary experience for a young lad who came from a big family that relied on the mixed fortunes of a travelling ironmongery business to support itself.
Sir Hubert Parry continued his association with Bournemouth, conducting the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra (better known these days as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) at the invitation of its director Dan Godfrey. Prior to the coronation of George V in 1911, Parry adjusted the accompaniment and performing speed of I Was Glad making it sound even grander than before. Parry’s composition has been used at all subsequent coronations and important royal occasions including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee services, and the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. He also wrote the rousing hymn Jerusalem in 1916.
The opening fanfare of I Was Glad always gives me a tingle as it reminds me of this special family association. As a singer myself, I have taken part in many performances of I Was Glad, both at home and abroad, in large and small choirs. This included one at the Parry Festival, held at St Peter’s Church Bournemouth in 2018. Marking the centenary of his death, it was a wonderfully uplifting celebration of his music.
Underestimating the power of social media, I was amazed that a tweet I shared about my grandfather’s role in I Was Glad was picked up by the presenter of a Classic FM Gala Concert at the Albert Hall which I was taking part in. Having just performed the piece with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, we were enjoying a quick break when Nick Owen announced to the capacity audience of more than 5,000 that my grandfather had sung at the first rendition of the anthem at the coronation. As his grandson I was invited to take their applause on his behalf - which I was delighted so to do.
Regrettably, Wally Hoar did not make his three score years and ten, so our paths never crossed. I do, however, have a wealth of memorabilia from the Coronation Day of 1902, and can only marvel at what an amazing experience it must have been for this young chorister.
I Was Glad: Psalm 122
I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’
Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord
For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces
For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, ‘Peace be within thee
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.’
