Edwin Arthur Jones facts for kids

Edwin Arthur Jones (born June 28, 1853 – died January 9, 1911) was an American composer. A composer is someone who writes music. He wrote many pieces, including a cantata and a large oratorio. These are like big musical stories for singers and an orchestra. His oratorio was inspired by Handel's famous Messiah.

Early Life and Learning

Edwin Arthur Jones was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts. This was on June 28, 1853. He loved music from a young age.

He went to the New England Conservatory of Music. There, he learned to play the violin and organ. He also studied harmony, which is about how musical notes fit together.

In 1872, Edwin went to Dartmouth College. That same year, he played his violin at a huge music event. It was called the World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival. Thousands of musicians performed in Boston. A famous composer from Vienna, Johann Strauss Jr., was also there. He played his popular waltzes.

Edwin graduated from Dartmouth College in 1876. He was very active there! He was the Class President. He directed the Dartmouth Glee Club, a singing group. He was also the first violinist in the college orchestra. Plus, he helped edit the college newspaper. And he was even the captain of the Dartmouth Big Green baseball team in 1875.

First Musical Pieces

After college, Edwin moved to Baltimore. He helped his family with their store. But he kept writing music.

His first big piece was called The Farewell Waltzes. He wrote it for a solo piano while still at Dartmouth. It was published in Baltimore in 1874. He also made a version for a small orchestra.

Six years later, in 1880, his First String Quartet was performed. This happened at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. A string quartet is a group of four string instruments. After this, he moved back to his hometown in Massachusetts.

Leading an Orchestra and Composing

Back in Stoughton, Edwin started his own orchestra. It had 20 musicians. A picture of his orchestra was taken in 1885.

In 1881, he wrote a large cantata. It was called Song of Our Saviour. A cantata is a piece for singers and instruments. This work was not performed during his lifetime. But it was finally heard over 100 years later, on May 3, 1992.

Another important work was his oratorio, Easter Concert. An oratorio is a big musical story, often about a religious topic. It's for solo singers, a chorus, and an orchestra. This piece was published in 1890. It was first performed in modern times on April 26, 1981.

Edwin Arthur Jones wrote many other pieces too. He composed songs for singers and piano. He also wrote music for different groups of instruments. These included string trios and string quartets. He even wrote a march for an orchestra.

Jones was part of two singing groups in his town. One was The Stoughton Musical Society. It started in 1786 and is the oldest singing group in America! He helped this society get invited to perform at a big event. This was the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.