James Clifford Brown (1923–2004) was an English composer, former Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music and Organist at the University of Leeds.

Life

James Clifford Brown, usually referred to as James Brown, was born at 49 St. Matthew's Street,

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

on 18 August 1923. His father Henry John Brown was an electrical engineer and later professional cellist while his mother Lois was a junior school teacher. James also had a brother named Tom being a chartered engineer and a sister called Dulcie who has been a civil servant, a missionary and a music teacher of cello and classical guitar. He was trained in singing and organ-playing by Jonathan Job, the Ipswich Borough Organist, then himself became organist and choirmaster at All Hallows' Church.University of Leeds; James Brown: Handlist of Musical Works and Sources, compiled by Richard Rastall
/ref>
/ref> In 1941 he left Northgate School and won a choral studentship to

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

, but his studies were interrupted by war service. He resumed study after his return in 1945, and was then appointed as organ student. From 1948 until retirement in 1983 he was a lecturer, then senior lecturer, in the music department of the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

. He was active as a composer throughout this time. In 1951 he was asked by his friend

Allan Wicks Edward Allan Wicks (6 June 1923, Harden, West Yorkshire − 4 February 2010) was an English cathedral organist, who served in Canterbury Cathedral for nearly 30 years. He was an early champion of the music of Olivier Messiaen, Peter Maxwell ...

to write the music for the first major revival of the

York Mystery Plays The York Mystery Plays, more properly the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English cycle of 48 mystery plays or pageants covering sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgment. They were traditionally presented on the feast day ...

,York Mystery Plays
which were a triumphant success. In 1961–1962 he took a year's leave to study with Boris Porena in Rome. He made his home in

Kirkstall Kirkstall is a north-western suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the eastern side of the River Aire. The area sits in the Kirkstall ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds West parliamentary constituency, represented by Rachel Reeves. Th ...

until 2003. Subsequently he moved to

Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 Cen ...

, where he died on 21 December 2004.

Published works in print

See Banks Music Publications (search with "Brown James")
/ref> *''The Lark now leaves his wat'ry Nest'', for 2-part female voices and piano, 1949 *''Portsmouth'', solo song with piano, 1949 *''A Nocturne'', solo song with piano, 1950 *''Andante Sospirando'', organ, 1951 *''Sonatina'', clarinet and viola, 1952 *''The Lass for a Sailor'', solo song with piano, 1955 *''Careless Content'', solo song with piano, 1957 *''A Morning Pastoral'', three songs for SSA, 1965 *''Promenade'', piano duet, 1974 *''Silent Spring'', solo song with piano, 1976 *''If ye turn to him'', motet for unison boys' voices and organ, 1980 *''Serenade'', clarinet in A and piano, 1950, revised 1985 *''Prelude and Postlude for Easter'', organ, 1987 *''The Shepherds' Nativity Hymn'', for SATB choir and wind orchestra, 1991 *''From East to West'', for SATB choir and keyboard, 1991 *''Summer Idyll'', organ, 2000

References

English composers Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 1923 births 2004 deaths {{England-musician-stub