Gordon Jacob and his pigs...

PIGS

 

Whenever we visited Gordon Jacob the first thing my children wanted to do was to sit on the big leather pig in his sitting-room. Gordon loved pigs and had an enormous collection: china, wooden, plastic - even a marzipan one that he couldn't bring himself to eat.

He was helping us to build our catalogue of pieces for young wind players, and it was the pigs that reminded him to introduce us to Alan Ridout, one of his ex-students at the Royal College of Music. Alan had written a piece for four bassoons called 'Pigs' as a gift to Gordon to add to his collection. Alan soon became one of our favourite composers.

Pigs eventually became Emerson Edition No.9. With a cover illustration by the legendary Bill Tidy it has remained a favourite since 1973

 

https://www.juneemersonwindmusic.com/PIGS.html

 

 



E5 and Notaset

Do you remember Notaset?

Back in the 1970s, when we first started publishing, we used the transfer system Notaset. Each note on the transfer sheet was placed on its correct line or space and then rubbed with a pencil (or a dead biro). Each symbol stuck itself on to the manuscript paper. It took hours...

The first, and last, work that I undertook was Emerson Edition No.5 Variations on a Dorian Theme for saxophone & piano by Gordon Jacob. Dear Gordon said it looked lovely, but I knew the spacings were extremely dodgy. After that we contracted the work out to professionals. You can imagine how happy we were when Sibelius was invented.

(E5 has been professionally re-engraved since then, by the way!)

June Emerson

Fortunately the piece proved popular and has been on various examination syllabus lists over the years.

E5 Variations on a Dorian Theme - Gordon Jacob

https://www.juneemersonwindmusic.com/VARIATIONS-ON-A-DORIAN-THEME.html

Gordon Jacob (1895-1984)

SLEEPING GIANTS AWAKE...

Expressive violin concertos by three unfamiliar names have recently made a well-deserved break into the recording world. The most dramatic of these three scintillating works is that from the seasoned Great War composer Gordon Jacob. His concerto, composed 30 years after that conflict's conclusion, is still an abject reflection of that period and its haunting memories.
The three movements move from a contemplative opening through a prayer-like andante and finally to a reflective but optimistic allegro finale.

Gordon Jacob (1897 - 1996) was taken prisoner during the First World War. While in the camp, with several other musicians, he formed an orchestra and composed and arranged for the oddly balanced forces available. This gave him a valuable insight into how to write for each instrument so that the notes 'lie well' for the fingers, and to understand unusual instrumental combinations. Later in life this expertise made him much sought-after by several more famous names, for help with their orchestration. His book 'Orchestral Technique' is still a much valued reference book.

A PIECE OF LUCK

Gordon Jacob 1895 - 1983

 

It was in 1974 that a concert was given in Hertfordshire by a clarinet choir. That was a relatively unknown combination in those days, but Gordon Jacob had written a piece Introduction and Rondo that was to receive its first performance that day. We were asked whether we could give him a lift to the venue, and I sat behind him in the car. He confided to us that he had never actually heard a clarinet choir, but he was such a master of orchestration that it was a great piece, and the players and audience loved it.

 

My music business (JEWM) had been running for three years, and we were beginning to publish new works for young players. The repertoire for beginners at that time was very limited, as learning wind instruments in schools was still a new venture. I was particularly annoyed that beginner brass players were usually asked to play a brass band part as their exam piece. It would be unaccompanied, and make very little sense without the rest of the band, but there was not much else suitable.

 

As we drove along I went into a bit of a soap-box speech about the fact that young players needed good music when they were learning, not just simple ditties written 'down to their level'. They need to be taught with well-written music of stature and quality.

 

Very soon after, through the post, came Four Little Pieces for trumpet or cornet and piano - from Gordon Jacob. It soon went on to the AB exam syllabus and has remained there on and off ever since. Many other pieces followed, and through that chance transport problem a long friendship was established. Isn't life wonderful?

 

 





Cover illustration by Timothy Macpherson aged 12.

https://www.juneemersonwindmusic.com/FOUR-LITTLE-PIECES-2b2ddf5f-578e-4d8c-81f4-a3c551673bad.html