Blake’s poem was not very well known during the 19th century, but in 1916 a collection of poems was published which included “Jerusalem”. Britain was fighting a terrible war (the First World War), and so the people needed some strong, patriotic music to give them courage. Robert Bridges, the Poet Laureate asked Parry to put it to music at a Fight for Right campaign meeting in London's Queen's Hall. He wanted Parry to write a tune that the audience would be able to sing easily. At first Parry wanted verse one to be sung by a solo female voice, but the version sung nowadays is the arrangement for orchestra made in 1922 by Sir Edward Elgar. When King George V heard it for the first time he said that he preferred "Jerusalem" to "God Save the King", the National Anthem. 