Hubert Parry made the choice every composer of his generation seemingly had to make: Would he follow Brahms or Wagner? Prefering the career of an instrumental composer rather than a dramatic one, Parry chose Brahms as his model.

It is not unsurprising that Parry was deeply affected by Brahms' death in 1897 and wrote a memorial composition for the German master. It is a rich and purifying piece expressing deep feeling. It quotes a few of Brahms' themes, most notably the famous optimistic C Major chorale theme from the finale of the First Symphony, which Parry transforms into an expression of grief by quoting it in the minor. But at the end the music is radiant and consoling. Parry evidently considered it a private work, for he put it aside when finished, without editing it for performance or publication.

After Parry's own death his friend the composer Charles Stanford did the necessary editing and conducted its first performance at Parry's Memorial Concert at the Royal College of Music on November 8, 1918. The music made a memorable impression: Its depiction of a friendship felt by a British composer towards a German one, and the ultimate uplifting and hopeful conclusion after a period of grief, resonated strongly on that day, just three days before the Armistice took effect ending World War I.

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