The inspiring, patriotic song Jerusalem (1916) and other works by composer Charles Hubert Parry have been recorded for the first time as they were originally intended, following work by a Durham University expert.

Professor Jeremy Dibble, a musicologist in Durham University’s Department of Music, discovered that ‘Parry wrote the first verse of Jerusalem for a lone voice, probably a soprano, to be followed by everyone singing together on the second verse to reflect his desire to create a song of strength, hope and unity.’

‘People clearly enjoyed singing it together in church, at meetings and at The Last Night of the Proms, so much so, that we’ve forgotten Parry’s original intention of a solo beginning,’ continues Professor Dibble.

The Chandos CD will also include the first modern recording of Parry’s England, a national song set to words from Shakespeare’s Richard II. Professor Dibble used original manuscripts from The Royal College of Music and The British Library to reconstruct the work as it was initially conceived.

‘England is a big, patriotic, unison song right up there with Jerusalem,' comments Professor Dibble. ‘Few people seem to know the song now. Like Jerusalem, its rousing tune expresses a sense of vision, self-sacrifice and hope, typical of Parry’s own outlook.’

Jerusalem and England, performed using Parry’s original orchestration by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, and other Parry classics, including music to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, will feature on the new CD to be released by Chandos Records in October 2012.

Sinead McKenna