Gordon Jacob

Short bio Gordon Jacob

Birthday: 1895 in London, England

Died: 1984 in Saffron Walden

Active: 1930s - 1980s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Modern

Full biography Gordon Jacob

Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was an English composer and pedagogue born on July 5th , 1895 in London. He was a highly skilled craftsman who wrote for most genres, but primarily orchestral, choral, and chamber works. Over the course of his 60+ year career as a composer, Jacob produced symphonies, concertos for various instruments, choral works, a ballet, chamber music, and band music.

Jacob was also known for his expertise in orchestration, which earned him a reputation as the "musician's musician par excellence." He wrote a number of original works for symphonic band , including An Original Suite. In addition to his music, Jacob wrote several musical textbooks, including Orchestral Technique (1931), How to Read a Score (1944), and The Composer and his Art.

In the 1930s, Jacob, along with several other young composers , wrote for the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company (now The Royal Ballet). His one original ballet , Uncle Remus, premiered in 1932. His contributions to the ballet repertoire in Britain are significant, and he is also notable for the many film scores he composed, including those for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Tom Jones.

Jacob wrote prolifically, with over 700 original compositions or arrangements to his name. He lived a long and fruitful life, passing away on June 8th, 1984 in Saffron Walden. Today, his music is still played and celebrated by musicians and music lovers around the world.

Compositions featuring Gordon Jacob

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Sonatina for alto recorder & harpsichord	9:06 min	Chamber Music	1984
2	Mini-Concerto for clarinet & string orchestra	10:18 min	Concerto	1980
3	Suite for symphonic wind band in B flat major	11:02 min	Band Music	1979
4	Viola Concerto No. 2	18:36 min	Concerto	1979
5	Suite Dans le Style Frantais	15:44 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1979
6	Viola Sonata	12:36 min	Chamber Music	1978
7	More Old Wine in New Bottles, for band	11:32 min	Band Music	1978
8	Symphony AD 78	15:43 min	Symphony	1978
9	Concert Piece, for viola & orchestra	19:58 min	Concerto	1977
10	Concerto for clarinet & trumpet ("Double")	11:47 min	Concerto	1976
11	Sketches (4) for bassoon & piano	3:56 min	Chamber Music	1976
12	Caprice for violin & piano	2:25 min	Chamber Music	1975
13	Swansea Town, variations (8) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon & horn	10:10 min	Chamber Music	1975
14	Quintet for Harmonica and String quartet	24:24 min	Chamber Music	1972
15	On a Summer Evening, for flute & piano	2:17 min	Chamber Music	1972
16	A Consort of Recorders	10:18 min	Chamber Music	1972
17	Elegy for violin & piano in D minor	3:05 min	Chamber Music	1972
18	A Little Concerto, for bass & orchestra	14:24 min	Concerto	1972
19	Trifles, for treble recorder, violin, cello & harpsichord	9:05 min	Chamber Music	1971
20	Pieces (5) for clarinet solo		Chamber Music	1970
21	Piano Quartet	17:14 min	Chamber Music	1969
22	Suite for bassoon & string quartet	10:04 min	Chamber Music	1969
23	Trio for clarinet, viola & piano	16:22 min	Chamber Music	1969
24	Sonatina for violin	10:40 min	Chamber Music	1966
25	Sonatina for oboe & harpsichord	9:28 min	Chamber Music	1963
26	Passacaglia Stereophonica, for viola & orchestra	3:04 min	Concerto	1960
27	Old Wine in New Bottles, for wind orchestra	12:21 min	Band Music	1960
28	Little Dancer, for violin & piano	2:13 min	Chamber Music	1959
29	Trio for flute, oboe & harpsichord	12:19 min	Chamber Music	1958
30	The Pied Piper, for solo flute & piccolo	5:15 min	Chamber Music	1958
31	Piano Sonata	19:19 min	Keyboard	1957
32	Piano Concerto No. 2 in E flat major	30:26 min	Concerto	1957
33	Divertimento for harmonica and string quartet	17:21 min	Chamber Music	1956
34	Concerto for trombone & orchestra	20:18 min	Concerto	1955
35	Divertimento for cello	12:04 min	Chamber Music	1955
36	Concerto for horn & strings	22:09 min	Concerto	1955
37	Concertino for piano & string orchestra	10:58 min	Concerto	1954
38	Concerto for violin & string orchestra	21:28 min	Concerto	1953
39	Music for a Festival for brass & winds	22:01 min	Orchestral	1951
40	Concerto for flute & strings	14:00 min	Concerto	1951
41	Sextet for woodwind quintet & piano, Op. 3	20:56 min	Chamber Music	195?
42	Sonatina for viola & piano	12:32 min	Chamber Music	1949
43	Introduction and Fugue, for piccolo, flute & alto flute	3:02 min	Chamber Music	1947
44	Esther Waters, film score		Film Score	1947
45	Symphony No. 2 in C major	32:01 min	Symphony	1945
46	A Symphony for Strings, for orchestra	22:29 min	Symphony	1943
47	Quintet for clarinet & strings	30:43 min	Chamber Music	1942
48	Quartet for oboe & strings	21:33 min	Chamber Music	1938
49	Concerto for oboe & strings No. 1	23:59 min	Concerto	1934
50	Wind Quintet No. 1 ("Serenade")	17:13 min	Chamber Music	1931
51	Songs (3) for soprano & clarinet	5:31 min	Vocal Music	1931
52	Pieces (3), for viola & orchestra	12:02 min	Concerto	1930
53	Symphony No. 1	34:18 min	Symphony	1929
54	Piano Concerto No. 1	17:15 min	Concerto	1927
55	Viola Concerto No. 1 in C minor	19:42 min	Concerto	1925
56	Cameos, for trombone & symphonic band (or piano)	11:49 min	Concerto	-
57	Encore for Michala, for alto recorder & guitar	2:11 min	Chamber Music	-
58	Elegy, for cello & piano	7:41 min	Chamber Music	-
59	Divertimento for wind octet in E flat	12:56 min	Chamber Music	-
60	Suite for treble recorder & string orchestra	19:03 min	Concerto	-
61	Suite for tuba & string orchestra	17:37 min	Concerto	-
62	Concerto for bassoon and strings With (Optional) Percussion	16:22 min	Concerto	-
63	Concerto for Band	12:10 min	Band Music	-
64	Concertino for clarinet & strings (or piano) (based on Tartini sonata themes)	11:48 min	Concerto	-
65	Changing Moods		Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
66	The Barber of Seville Goes to the Devil Overture	4:34 min	Opera	-
67	Fancies (4) for flute, violin, viola & cello, No. 1, Prelude	1:21 min	Chamber Music	-
68	Brother James's air	3:33 min	Orchestral	-
69	Boyhood Memories, for harmonica & piano	9:39 min	Chamber Music	-
70	Bagatelles (7) for oboe	7:37 min	Chamber Music	-
71	Variations for recorder & piano	12:19 min	Chamber Music	-
72	Aphorisms, for string octet	10:37 min	Chamber Music	-
73	An Original Suite, for band	10:12 min	Band Music	-
74	William Byrd Suite, for band	18:16 min	Band Music	-
75	Alexandra Palace Overture, for band	6:08 min	Band Music	-
76	Wind Trio		Chamber Music	-
77	Short Pieces (4), for clarinet & piano	5:40 min	Chamber Music	-
78	Prelude, Fugue & Scherzo	4:32 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
79	Partita, for solo bassoon	5:04 min	Chamber Music	-
80	Quintet for bassoon	8:35 min	Chamber Music	-
81	Inventions (3) for flute & oboe	5:52 min	Chamber Music	-
82	Harlequin in the Street, ballet (after Fr. Couperin)	26:36 min	Ballet	-
83	Saxophone Quartet No. 2	15:19 min	Chamber Music	-
84	Scherzetto, Pavane & Gopak, for 4 clarinets	3:39 min	Chamber Music	-
85	Sextet for piano & winds in B flat major, Op. 6	21:50 min	Chamber Music	-
86	Festal Flourish for brass ensemble	2:58 min	Chamber Music	-
87	Shakespearian Sketches (6), for string trio	15:00 min	Chamber Music	-
88	Pieces (5) for harmonica & orchestra, Nos 1-5, complete	12:58 min	Chamber Music	-
89	Sir Godfrey Kneller, March	5:15 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
90	Fantasia for Euphonium and Band	11:01 min	Band Music	-
91	Sonata for oboe & harpsichord	16:06 min	Chamber Music	-
92	Sonata for recorder & piano	11:23 min	Chamber Music	-
93	Sonatina for 2 violas	7:02 min	Chamber Music	-
94	Fanfare, for brass	5:13 min	Band Music	-
95	Fancies (4) for flute, violin, viola & cello, No. 4, Folk Dance	1:12 min	Chamber Music	-
96	Fancies (4) for flute, violin, viola & cello, No. 3, Incantation	1:32 min	Chamber Music	-
97	Fancies (4) for flute, violin, viola & cello, No. 2, Gavotte	1:09 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Gordon Jacob

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Hubert Parry • Edward Elgar • Gordon Jacob, Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim • Douglas Bostock – British Music For Strings I(CD, Album, Stereo)	2020	cpo
2	William Walton, William Alwyn, Kenneth Leighton, Lennox Berkeley, Alan Rawsthorne, Gordon Jacob, Clare Howick, Simon Callaghan – British Violin Sonatas(CD, Album)	2020	Somm Recordings
3	Paul Patterson, Kenneth Leighton, Gordon Jacob, Clare Howick, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn – British Violin Concertos(CD, Album)	2017	Naxos
4	Moeran, Clarke, Jacob, Patterson, Rawsthorne, Midori Komachi, Sophie Rosa, Simon Callaghan – Warp & Weft(CD, Album)	2017	EM Records (10)
5	Michala Petri, Richard Harvey (2), Malcolm Arnold, Gordon Jacob, City Chamber Orchestra Of Hong Kong, Jean Thorel – English Recorder Concertos(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel)	2012	OUR Recordings
6	Grantham • Jacob • Bryant • Pann • Youngstown State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble • Dana Chamber Winds • Stephen L. Gage – Old Wine In New Bottles(11×File, MP3, Album)	2012	Naxos
7	Gordon Jacob, Gabriel Beavers – Music for Bassoon and Strings(CD, )	2009	Mark Masters
8	Gordon Jacob • Jack Stamp • Aaron Copland • Percy Grainger • George Gershwin • Alvin Chea • Jo Ella Todd • Derrick Fox • University Of Missouri Wind Ensemble • Thomas O'Neal – In This Hid Clearing…(16×File, MP3, Album)	2009	Naxos
9	Ernst Pauer, Gustav Holst, Gordon Jacob, Hexagon Ensemble – The British Connection(CD, Stereo)	2008	Etcetera (3)
10	Bax / Jacob, Florence Hooton, Wilfred Parry – Sonata For Cello And Piano - Legend-Sonata / Divertimento For Solo Cello(2×CD, Remastered, Mono)	2008	Lyrita Recorded Edition
11	E.J Moeran / Gordon Jacob, Iris Loveridge – Piano Music(CD, Remastered, Mono)	2008	Lyrita Recorded Edition
12	Gordon Jacob – London Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth – Symphonies 1 & 2(CD, Album)	2007	Lyrita Recorded Edition
13	Gordon Jacob, Malcolm Arnold, York Bowen, Ruth Gipps, Gilbert Vinter, David Pyatt, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite – British Horn Concertos(CD, )	2007	Lyrita Recorded Edition
14	Gordon Jacob, Ensemble Più – Seven Bagatelles - Six Shakespearian Sketches - Quartet For Oboe And Strings(CD, Compilation, Stereo)	2004	Audite
15	Thea King, Northwest Chamber Orchestra Seattle, Alun Francis – Clarinet Concertos	2002	Hyperion
16	Armstrong Gibbs, Madeleine Dring, Robin Milford, Cyril Rootham, Gordon Jacob, Guildhall Strings, Martin Roscoe – Peacock Pie(CD, )	2002	Hyperion
17	William McMullen, Catherine Herbener / Bennett / Howells / Jacob / Berkeley / Rubbra – 20th Century British Music For Oboe And Piano(CD, Album)	2002	Crystal Records (5)
18	Bruch, Jacob, Smit, Trio Accanto (2) – Music For Clarinet, Viola And Piano(CD, Album)	2002	Paula
19	Beethoven, Jacob, Hindemith, Vinter - Dennis Brain, Dennis Brain Wind Quintet, Benjamin Britten, George Malcolm, Noel Mewton-Wood, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Vilem Tausky – Brain(CD, Compilation)	2002	BBC Music
20	Arthur Bliss, Stanford, Frederick Thurston, Myers Foggin, The Griller Quartet, Jacob, Rawsthorne, Thea King, The Aeolian Quartet – Frederick Thurston 1901-1953 Centenary Tribute (Quintet / 'Caoine' From Sonata Op. 129 / Quintet / Quartet)(CD, Compilation)	2001	Clarinet Classics
21	Gordon Jacob, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Bostock – Symphony No 2 : A Little Symphony : A Festival Overture	1998	Classico
22	Jacob, Thuille, Winter, Ibert, Carl-Axel Dominique, The Sundsvall Wind Quintet – Jacob / Thuille / Winter / Ibert(CD, Album)	1996	Caprice Records
23	Jacob • Bracanin • Currie • Wagenseil – Warwick Tyrrell \| Adelaide Symphony Orchestra / Nicholas Braithwaite, Patrick Thomas (3) – Trombone Concertos	1993	ABC Classics
24	Gordon Jacob / Thea Musgrave / Malcolm Arnold - Alexa Still, New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite – Flute Concerto / Flute Concerto No. 2 / Orfeo II(CD, Stereo)	1993	Koch International Classics
25	Holst, Jacob, Elysian Wind Quintet, Anthony Goldstone – Quintet In A Minor Op. 3 For Piano & Wind / Wind Quintet In A Flat Op. 14 / Sextet In B Flat Op. 6(CD, Album)	1992	Chandos
26	Tommy Reilly, The Academy Of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Vilem Tausky, James Moody, Gordon Jacob, Ralph Vaughan Williams – Works For Harmonica & Orchestra(CD, Reissue, Stereo)	1988	Chandos
27	Jacob ✽ Larsson ✽ Seiber ✽ Reger ✽ Atterberg, Sören Hermansson, Umeå Sinfonietta, Edvard Tjivzjel – Horn Concertos(CD, Stereo)	1987	BIS
28	Grainger ∙ Vaughan Williams ∙ Jacob ∙ O'Donnell, Royal Air Force Central Band, Wing Comm. Eric Banks – British Music For Concert Band, Album 2	1986	Angel Records
29	Michala Petri, Academy Of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Kenneth Sillito, Gordon Jacob, Händel, Babell, Baston – Recorder Concertos, Suite For Recorder	1984	Philips
30	Donald Knaub, Rex Woods - Gustav Mahler, Frigyes Hidas, Gordon Jacob, Donald Grantham – Sound Waves(LP)	1983	Crystal Records (5)
31	Sir Arthur Somervell / Gordon Jacob - Thea King, Aeolian Quartet – Clarinet Quintets	1981	Hyperion
32	Trio Baroque - Maria Piech, Jan Poda, Marc Grauwels - Ibert, Jacob, Martinu, Bruzdowicz – Trio Baroque(LP, Album)	1980	Pavane Records
33	Malcolm Arnold, Arthur Bliss, Gordon Jacob, Cyril Smith (2), Phyllis Sellick – Concertos For Phyllis And Cyril	1970	His Master's Voice
34	Tubby Hayes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gordon Jacob, Pamela Verrall, Ernst Toch – Farnham Festival 1969(LP, Album, Compilation, Stereo)	1969	Erase (2)
35	Gordon Jacob, Iris Loveridge, Florence Hooton, Wilfrid Parry – Piano Sonata; Divertimento; Elegy(LP, Album, Mono)	1965	Lyrita Recorded Edition
36	Inghelbrecht, The Jacques Orchestra, Gordon Jacob – La Nursery / Six Short Pieces For Children(7", EP, Mono)	1962	His Master's Voice
37	Frederick Fennell, Eastman Wind Ensemble – British Band Classics Vol. 2	1959	Mercury
38	J.S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, A. Panzini, L. Boccherini, J. Kern, K. Weill, G. Gershwin, H. Arlen, G. Jacob, J. Moody – Stagione Concertistica 2004-2005(2×CD, Compilation, Promo)	-	Università Degli Studi Dell'Insubria

Videos featuring Gordon Jacob

Gordon Jacob : A Little Symphony for chamber orchestra (1957)

I. Grave

II. Allegro molto (Scherzo and Trio)

III. Adagio

IV. Allegro molto, quasi presto.

Performed by the Munich Symphony Orchestra conducted by Douglas Bostock.

Sir Arthur Somervell: Clarinet Quintet in G Major

Sir Arthur Somervell (5 June 1863 – 2 May 1937) was an English composer and art song writer. After Hubert Parry, he was one of the most successful and influential writers of art song in the English music renaissance of the 1890s–1900s.

Stephan Siegentha