David Parry (folk musician)
Encyclopedia
David Parry was a Canadian folk music
ian, storyteller
, actor
, stage director, and teacher
. He was an important presence in the Canadian folk music scene from the mid 1970s up until his death in 1995. He worked both as a solo artist and as a member of the Friends of Fiddler's Green
, a Toronto
-based ceilidh
band. He was married to writer and musician Caroline Balderston Parry
. Their son Richard Reed Parry
(born 1977) is a member of the rock band Arcade Fire and their daughter Evalyn Parry
is a prominent spoken-word performer and musician.
Born in London
, England
, Parry received his formal training in theater, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in historical drama. He began his career as a stage actor in England during the early 1960s. He soon moved into directing plays as well and also began working as a semi-professional musician. During the 1960s and early 1970s he acted in and directed plays in England, Europe, India, and North America.
In the mid-'70s, Parry moved with his wife to Toronto, Canada where he began playing solo dates as a singer and storyteller. He soon became a fixture on Toronto's folk scene. He became a member of the Toronto Morris Men and then later joined the Friends of Fiddler's Green in the early 1980s. He also occasionally performed in concerts with Ian Robb
. Parry released two solo albums: Wind That Tramps the World (1985) and The Man From Eldorado: Songs and Stories of Robert W. Service (1993). He was also heavily featured on the Friends of Fiddler's Green albums This Side of the Ocean (1978) and Road to Mandalay (1994) A posthumous album E Liked It All! (1995) was released when Parry died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 52.
In addition to his work as a musician, Parry was on the staff of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
where he was the director of the live interpretation program. He was also an adjunct faculty member of the drama department at the University of Toronto
where he led Poculi Ludique Societas
, a medieval drama
group.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian, storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, stage director, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He was an important presence in the Canadian folk music scene from the mid 1970s up until his death in 1995. He worked both as a solo artist and as a member of the Friends of Fiddler's Green
Friends of Fiddler's Green
Friends of Fiddler's Green is a Canadian folk music group based in Toronto. The original members of the group for its first recording, The Road to Mandalay, were Grit Laskin, Tam Kearney, Ian Robb, Laurence Stevenson, David Parry, and Jeff McClintock on keyboards...
, a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based ceilidh
Céilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
band. He was married to writer and musician Caroline Balderston Parry
Caroline Balderston Parry
Caroline Balderston Parry is a Canadian writer, musician, celebrator, and consultant. She is the author of Let's Celebrate Canada's Special Days, an important reference work since 1987, and Eleanora's Diary, based on the 1830s diary of a Canadian immigrant girl, Eleanora Hallen...
. Their son Richard Reed Parry
Richard Parry (musician)
Richard Reed Parry is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer and member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire, where he plays double bass, celesta, keyboards, drums, guitar, and accordion. He is also a member of the Bell Orchestre, in which he primarily plays double bass and is the de facto...
(born 1977) is a member of the rock band Arcade Fire and their daughter Evalyn Parry
Evalyn Parry
Evalyn Parry is a Canadian Quaker singer/songwriter and actress/playwright who grew up in Toronto, Ontario in the Kensington Market Neighborhood...
is a prominent spoken-word performer and musician.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Parry received his formal training in theater, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in historical drama. He began his career as a stage actor in England during the early 1960s. He soon moved into directing plays as well and also began working as a semi-professional musician. During the 1960s and early 1970s he acted in and directed plays in England, Europe, India, and North America.
In the mid-'70s, Parry moved with his wife to Toronto, Canada where he began playing solo dates as a singer and storyteller. He soon became a fixture on Toronto's folk scene. He became a member of the Toronto Morris Men and then later joined the Friends of Fiddler's Green in the early 1980s. He also occasionally performed in concerts with Ian Robb
Ian Robb
Ian Robb is a well-known English-born folk singer, currently based in Ottawa, Ontario. He was a founding member of Friends of Fiddler's Green, and a columnist for Sing Out!. He is also a member of the Canadian folk trio Finest Kind....
. Parry released two solo albums: Wind That Tramps the World (1985) and The Man From Eldorado: Songs and Stories of Robert W. Service (1993). He was also heavily featured on the Friends of Fiddler's Green albums This Side of the Ocean (1978) and Road to Mandalay (1994) A posthumous album E Liked It All! (1995) was released when Parry died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 52.
In addition to his work as a musician, Parry was on the staff of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
where he was the director of the live interpretation program. He was also an adjunct faculty member of the drama department at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he led Poculi Ludique Societas
Poculi Ludique Societas
PLS, or Poculi Ludique Societas, the Medieval & Renaissance Players of Toronto, sponsors productions of early plays, from the beginnings of medieval drama to as late as the middle of the seventeenth century....
, a medieval drama
Medieval theatre
Medieval theatre refers to the theatre of Europe between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D. and the beginning of the Renaissance in approximately the 15th century A.D...
group.