Jane M. Joseph

Jane Marian Joseph (31 May 1894 – 9 March 1929) was an English composer. She also used the pseudonym "James M. Joseph".

Biography

Jane Joseph was born in Notting Hill, West London, into a Jewish family. She learned double bass as a child, and also played piano. She graduated from St. Paul's Girls' School, and Girton College at Cambridge University, and had composition lessons from Gustav Holst, whom she assisted with transcriptions, arrangements and translations all her life.

After graduating, Joseph took a teaching position at Eothen School, Caterham, and played bass, horn and timpani in the Morley College orchestra. She was active in directing pageants and festivals and became known for sacred music.^[1]

Works

A number of Joseph's works remained unpublished at her death. Selected published works include:

Choral:

• Three old carols for women's voices (unaccompanied): "The Three Kings", "Adam lay i-bounden", "Of one that is so fair"
• Seven two-part songs for sopranos with piano accompaniment: "The Ladybird", "Wind Flowers", "Boats and Bridges", "The Pig", "Hope and Joy", "The Rose", "Lullaby"
• Hymn for Whitsuntide, chorus (unaccompanied)
• Noel: Carol for voices in unison (piano accompaniment)
• Wassail Song and The Carrion Crow, women's voices (unaccompanied)
• Morley Rounds, Sets I and II
• Venite
• A little Childe there is ibore, chorus and orchestra.

Piano:

• Playing Time Duets
• Five Progressive Pieces
• Scrap Book
• Suite of Five Pieces: Minuet, Bourree, Sarabande, Air, Jig,
• Seven short pieces: Little Piece; Sonatina; Song without words; Court Dance, Legend, Cradle Song, Humoresque
• Bergamask
• Morris Dance

Orchestral:

• Bergamask
• Morris Dance^[2]

References