Jean Elizabeth Williams (January 20, 1876 – July 1965) is a composer who was born in

Wednesbury, England Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of 37 ...

, and moved to Toronto, Canada. After graduating from the Royal Conservatory of Music of the University of Toronto, she returned to England and studied to be a concert pianist. Williams changed her career plans from performance to teaching after breaking her wrist. She returned to the University of Toronto to teach voice and piano. She later taught in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, and

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, before moving to Portland, Oregon, in 1932. Williams served as president of the National Music Teachers Association and as president of

Mu Phi Epsilon Mu Phi Epsilon () is a co-ed international professional fraternity, professional music fraternity. It has over 75,000 members in 227 collegiate chapters and 113 Alumnus/a, alumni chapters in the US and abroad. History Mu Phi Epsilon was founde ...

, a professional music fraternity. She collaborated on two music education books with Nellie Tholen, who later donated Williams' papers to the University of Oregon, where they are archived. Williams' compositions include:

Chamber

*Gavotte (violin and piano) *Valse (violin and piano)

Orchestra

*Concertina for Piano and String Orchestra *Junior Piano Concerto No. 6 *Piano Concerto in a minor *Piano Concerto in C *Piano Concerto in F Major *(Second) Piano Concerto in C

Piano

*Bolero (for two pianos) *Dresden China Figures (Minuet V) *Fairy Piper *Gavotte in G Major *Partita *Polka *Prelude Funebre *Red Bird Singing *Scherzo in a minor *Sicilienne *Sonatina in G *Tango in c minor *Toccata *Valse Chanson *Valse in d minor *Zwei Canzonen aus dem Fiori Musicale

Piano or vocal (unspecified)

*Adeste Fideles (transcription) *Allegro a la Tarantella *Aria *Baby Moon *Bells *Boys Are Marching *Cherry Ripe *Christmas Music for Treble Voices *Crossing the Bar *Dance Johnny! *Dance of the Puppets *Dance with Me *Danza Espagnola *Do You Sleep? *Doll's Wedding *Fife and Drum *Fireside Memories *Flying Leaf *Four Christmas Songs *Four O' Clock in the Morning *Fun in China *Grandfather Clock *Happy Dreams *Heritage *Hermit Thrush *In Far Places *In Old Algiers *Indian Lullaby *Indian Tales *Little Irish Donkey *Lord Christ the Carpenter *Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Dwelling Place *Lovely Senorita *Low Tide *Musical Snuff Box *Negro Lullaby *Noel *Old Spinet *Painted Fan *Paisley Shawl *Pastourelle Pensif *Patriot's Song *Rain! Rain! *Resurrection *Ring, Ring Ye Bells (for women's chorus and piano; first verse by Jean Williams, second verse by

Alfred Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

) *Ring Out Wild Bells *The Roaming Bumble Bee *Scout March *Simple Simon *Sleep Holy Child *Slumber Little One *Slumber Song *Snow by Night *Soldiers down the Street *Star of My Heart *Strange Port *Street Parade *These Are They *This is Oregon *To a Winter Robin *Toby Jug *Train *Vin et les Cloches *Wind and the Waves *Wind Chimes and Lanterns *Wind in the Night *Winter Sleep

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jean Elizabeth British women composers 1876 births 1965 deaths University of Toronto alumni People from Wednesbury Canadian women composers British emigrants to Canada