ABSTRACT
Hubert Parry’s overt commitment to music in the late 1870s came when he was already 30 and father of two children. It was inevitable that he would bring to bear on his artistic career a system of values and a mode of conduct conditioned by the social structures in which he grew up and a personality that was strongly extrovert. Musical composition was the one activity which required Parry to develop the introspective side of his personality. It is possible that the lack of a mother caused a rift between the masculine and feminine aspects of Parry’s personality. Emulation of his aspirations intensified and the determination to excel at music, sport and philosophy was fuelled by a desire to compensate for a brother he believed to be more talented than himself. Social distraction posed a more serious threat to his individuality than imitation of any idol.
