Jerusalem (And did those feet)

C. H. H. Parry

Key

D

Time

C

Tempo

♩=76

AO focus

AO1

Form

Hymn — strophic, two verses. Setting of William Blake's preface to 'Milton: A Poem in Two Books' (1804). Composed in 1916 for the suffragist movement; Parry conducted its first performance. England's de facto second national anthem.

Teaching points

• Strophic hymn structure — one melody for two verses. Discuss the rhetorical build between verse 1 and verse 2
• Range a 9th — singable for school choir or community group with no preparation
• AO1: ubiquitous in British civic life. Royal weddings, rugby matches, last night of the Proms
• AO3: Blake's text + 1916 wartime context — discuss how Parry's hymn became a vehicle for English identity