Herbert Kelsey Jones (June 17, 1922 – October 10, 2004) was a

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composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

harpsichordist A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied son ...

, and music

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Early life

Jones was born in South Norwalk, Norwalk,

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; he grew up in

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and moved to

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in 1945.

Career

In 1950, as a young man, Jones founded the Saint John Symphony Orchestra, now known as Symphony New Brunswick, and served as its conductor until 1953. Jones moved to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec in 1954, where he became a member of the faculty of McGill University's Faculty of Music. He composed "Songs of Experience" for the Montreal Bach Choir in 1955. He also performed as a solo pianist and duo pianist with his wife Rosabelle Jones (née Smith) from the early 1950s until an accident that rendered her paraplegic in 1974. At McGill Jones taught a variety of courses through the years, including History, Harpsichord and Piano, and Theory. he was best known as a teacher of Counterpoint (Modal, Tonal, Fugue & Canon). He became a Canadian citizen in 1956.Kelsey Jones
at

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, by Betty Nygaard King, Clifford Ford, June 21, 2007 In Montreal, he was active as a teacher, performer and composer. He was a founding member of the Baroque Trio of Montreal, along with Mario Duschenes (flute) and Melvin Berman (oboe). He recorded with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Duschenes, and Kenneth Gilbert on their album project, ''The art of the Flute''. His work "Fantasy on a Theme" was first performed by the Kingston Symphony Orchestra in 1976. Jones retired from McGill University in 1984 after which he was granted the title Emeritus Professor.

Compositions

Some of Jones's compositions include: " Miramichi Ballad", "

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", Nonsense Songs (Five Limericks & The Table and the Chair (E. Lear)), " Four Pieces for Recorder Quartet", " Nonsense Songs", Prophecy of Micah, "Passacaglia and Fugue" and Jazzum Opus Unum.

References

External links

Kelsey Jones's website

List of selected compositions by Kelsey JonesThe Kelsey Jones Collection
a
Marvin Duchow Music Library

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Kelsey 1922 births 2004 deaths Male conductors (music) Mount Allison University alumni University of Toronto alumni McGill University faculty Canadian classical composers Canadian organists Male organists Canadian harpsichordists Canadian educators Deaths from kidney failure 20th-century classical composers Canadian male classical composers 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century Canadian pianists 20th-century organists Canadian male pianists 20th-century Canadian conductors (music) 20th-century Canadian male musicians American emigrants to Canada