Daniel Jones (composer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Jones
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daniel Jenkyn Jones |
| Born | 7 December 1912 Pembroke, Wales |
| Died | 23 April 1993 (aged 80) Swansea, Wales |
| Genres | classical |
| Years active | 1930s–1980s |
Daniel Jenkyn Jones (born December 7, 1912 – died April 23, 1993) was a famous Welsh composer. He wrote classical music in Britain. Daniel Jones was known for his unique musical style. He created many pieces, including thirteen symphonies and several string quartets. He also wrote music for the play Under Milk Wood by his friend, the poet Dylan Thomas.
Contents
Life and Music
Early Life and Education
Daniel Jones was born in Pembroke, a town in south Wales. Music was a big part of his family. His father was also a composer, and his mother was a singer. Daniel started composing piano pieces when he was only nine years old.
He went to Bishop Gore School in Swansea from 1924 to 1931. There, he became great friends with the poet Dylan Thomas. Daniel loved literature, so he went on to study English at Swansea University. During this time, Daniel, Dylan, and other young artists often met at a cafe in Swansea. This group included the poet Vernon Watkins and the painter Alfred Janes.
In 1935, Daniel left Swansea to study music. He went to the Royal Academy of Music in London. He learned from famous teachers like Sir Henry Wood. In 1935, he won a special award called the Mendelssohn Scholarship. This allowed him to travel and study music in other countries. He visited Czechoslovakia, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. This also helped him become good at many languages.
Family and War Service
In 1937, Daniel Jones married Penelope Eunice Bedford. They had three daughters together. Before World War II, he started writing big orchestral pieces. He also developed his own way of composing music. He called it 'Complex Metres'.
During World War II, Daniel worked for the Intelligence Corps. He was a captain from 1940 to 1946. He used his language skills at Bletchley Park. This was a secret place where people decoded messages. He helped decode Russian, Romanian, and Japanese texts. In 1944, Daniel married his second wife, Irene Goodchild. They had one son and one daughter.
Becoming a Famous Composer
After the war, Daniel Jones became more and more recognized. In 1950, his piece "Symphonic Prologue" won a top prize. After that, many of his works were specially requested. He wrote music for big events and groups. These included the Festival of Britain and the BBC.
Between 1945 and 1985, he wrote twelve symphonies. Each symphony focused on a different musical note. In 1992, he wrote his thirteenth symphony. It was called "Symphony in Memoriam John Fussell." This was to remember his friend, the director of the Swansea Festival. By 1993, he had also written eight string quartets. He composed many other types of music too. One famous piece was a cantata called The Country Beyond the Stars.
Daniel Jones had many long-lasting friendships with other artists. These included Vernon Watkins and Grace Williams. His closest friend was Dylan Thomas. Daniel wrote music for Dylan's play Under Milk Wood. He also dedicated his fourth symphony to Dylan's memory. Daniel also helped put together collections of Dylan's poems and stories. In 1977, he wrote a book about their friendship called My Friend Dylan Thomas.
In 1968, Daniel Jones received a special honor. He was awarded an OBE. This is a high award in Britain.
He passed away in 1993 at his home in Swansea. His home was on the Gower Peninsula. He used to compose music in a room that looked out over Oystermouth Castle and Swansea Bay.
You can find his old papers and music at the National Library of Wales. A painting of Daniel Jones by Alfred Janes is in the National Museum Cardiff. There is also a photo of him at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
How He Composed Music
Complex Metres System
By 1936, Daniel Jones had created his own special way of composing music. He called it the "Complex Metres" system. He fully developed this system in his "Sonata for Three Non-Chromatic Kettle-Drums" in 1947.
In 1950, he explained his system. He said it used a fixed pattern, but the pattern was not perfectly even. This allowed for more variety and subtle rhythms in his music. Another composer, Boris Blacher, even adapted Jones's system in Germany. For Daniel Jones, his complex musical structures always had to connect with feelings and emotions.
Daniel Jones used both new and old musical styles. This meant his music sometimes seemed very modern. Other times, it felt more traditional. His unique approach made his music stand out.
List of Works
Orchestral Music
- Symphonic Prologue (1938)
- Five Pieces for Orchestra (1939)
- Comedy Overture (1943)
- Cloud Messenger, tone poem (1944)
- Symphony No 1 (1944-5)
- Miscellany, 20 pieces for small orchestra (1947)
- The Flute Player, tone poem
- Symphony No 2 (1950)
- Concert Overture No 2 (1951)
- Symphony No 3 (1951)
- Symphony No 4, In memoriam Dylan Thomas (1954)
- Ieuenctid, overture (1956)
- Symphony No 5 (1958)
- Symphony No 6 (1964)
- Capriccio for Flute, Harp and Strings (1965)
- Severn Bridge Variation (composite work with others) (1966)
- Violin Concerto (1966)
- Investiture Processional Music (1969)
- Symphony No 7 (1971)
- Sinfonietta No 1 (1972)
- Symphony No 8 (1972)
- Symphony No 9 (1974)
- Dance Fantasy (1976)
- Symphony No 10 (1980)
- Oboe Concerto (1982)
- Symphony No 11, In memoriam G F Tyler (1983)
- Symphony No 12 (1985)
- Cello Concerto (1986)
- Sinfonietta No 2 (1992)
- Symphony No 13, In memoriam John Fussell (1992)
Chamber Music
- String Quartet No 1 (1946)
- Suite, for viola and cello (1949)
- String Quartet No 2 (1957)
- String Trio (1970)
- String Quartet No 3 (1975)
- String Quartet No 4 (1978)
- String Quartet No 5 (1980)
- String Quartet No 6 (1982)
- String Quartet No 7 (1987)
- Sonata for Four Trombones (1988)
- Divertimento for wind quintet (1990)
- String Quartet No 8 (1993), (unfinished, performing edition by Malcolm Binney & Giles Easterbrook)
Instrumental Music
- Solo Cello Sonata, (1946)
- Sonata for Three Non-Chromatic Kettledrums (1947)
- Bagatelles for piano (1955)
- Cello Sonata (1972)
- Toccata and Fugue for organ (1974)
Dramatic Music
- Under Milk Wood, incidental music for Dylan Thomas (1954)
- The Knife, opera (1961)
Choral Music
- The Country Beyond the Stars, cantata after Henry Vaughan (1958)
- St Peter, oratorio (1962)
- Orestes, opera (1967)
- Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life, cantata for tenor, SATB chorus and orchestra (1987)
Discography
- Daniel Jones, Complete string quartets (Chandos CHAN 9535)
- Daniel Jones, Dance Fantasy [and works by A. Hoddinott and W. Mathias] (Lyrita SRCD 334).
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 1, 10 (recorded by BBC, issued on Lyrita SRCD 358)
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 2, 11 (recorded by BBC, issued on Lyrita SRCD 364)
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 3, 5 (recorded by BBC, issued on Lyrita SRCD 390).
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 4, 7, 8 (remastered on Lyrita SRCD 329)
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 6, 9, and The Country Beyond the Stars (remastered on Lyrita SRCD 326)
- Daniel Jones, Symphonies 12, 13, cantata Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life (recorded by BBC, issued on Lyrita SRCD 391).
