'Daniel Jenkyn Jones' (
December 7,
1912 –
April 23,
1993) was a
Welsh composer of
classical music.
Jones was born in
Pembroke, Wales. He studied at the
University of Wales and the
Royal Academy of Music, where his teachers included
Sir Henry Wood. A Mendelssohn Travelling Scholarship allowed him to study in Czecholslovakia, France, Holland and Germany, and to develop his skills as a linguist. He later employed these abilities during the Second World War as a cryptographer and decoder at
Bletchley Park.
He enjoyed long friendships with several leading Welsh artists, amongst them
Vernon Watkins,
Ceri Richards and
Grace Williams. However, he is probably best remembered as the friend from childhood of
Dylan Thomas, and composed the music for the 1954 radio production of Thomas's ''
Under Milk Wood'', as well as editing several collections of Thomas's poetry and prose. Jones' fourth symphony is dedicated to Thomas' memory, and he also wrote a biography of the poet, ''My Friend Dylan Thomas''.
Jones wrote twelve numbered symphonies in all, plus a later ''Symphony in Memory of John Fussell''. Among his other works are
chamber music, including eight
string quartets and a
sonata for three
timpani, orchestral and choral works, and several
operas.
Jones was made an
OBE in 1968. He died in
Swansea.
Major works
★ ''Sonata for Three Non-Chromatic Kettledrums''
★ ''Symphony no 4'' (
1954)
★ ''String Quartet
1957''
★ ''The Country beyond the Stars'' (cantata) (
1958)
★ ''Orestes'' (opera) (
1967)
★ ''String Trio'' (
1970)
★ ''Symphony No. 9'' (
1974)
★ ''Dance Fantasy'' (
1976)
★ ''Symphony No. 10'' (
1981)
★ ''Symphony No. 12'' (
1985)
★ ''Cello Concerto'' (
1986)
★ ''String Quartet
1993''
External links
★
Biography from britishclassicalmusic.com
★
Maecenas Music, publisher of many of Jones' works