John Joubert (composer)

at the University of Cape Town, from which Joubert graduated in 1944 – photographed in June 2006. Joubert was born on 20 March 1927 in Cape Town, South Africa. His ancestors on his father's side were Huguenots, French Protestants from Provence who settled at the Cape in 1688. His mother's ancestry was Dutch. Joubert was educated at Diocesan College in Rondebosch, South Africa, which was founded by the Anglican Church and maintained a high standard of music-making. He originally hoped to become a painter, and did a fair amount of art at school. However, at about the age of 15 years, he gradually became interested in music, though as a composer rather than a performer. "It was always going to be something creative. Oddly enough, the visual arts haven't been as great a stimulus as literature. I was also interested in writing. In fact, I was bored by everything at school except writing, art and music!" ==Professional career==

In 1950 Joubert was appointed to a lectureship in music at the University of Hull, having graduated in the same year with a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree from the University of Durham. His works soon began to be performed and to attract favourable attention. His carol Torches (Op. 7a, 1951) (written for his wife Mary's pupils and based on a Galician (Spain) carol, it was published in 1961 in the first volume of Carols for Choirs) and the anthem O Lorde, the Maker of Al Thing (Op. 7b, 1952) (which won the 1952 Novello Anthem Competition), achieved almost instant popularity. Concerning Torches, Joubert recalled, "I've even had carol-singers come to the door and singing it, without knowing the composer lives inside." the Royal Philharmonic Society and the BBC, and from musical festivals such as the Three Choirs Festival. By the end of his 12 years at Hull Joubert had composed, in addition to choral music, his Violin concerto (Op. 13, 1954), Symphony No. 1 (Op. 20, 1955), piano concerto (Op. 25, 1958), the full-length opera Silas Marner (Op. 31, 1961) (after the novel by George Eliot), and a body of chamber music including String quartet No. 1 in A-Flat (Op. 1, 1950), a string trio (Op. 30, 1958) and an Octet (Op. 33, 1961). Joubert moved to Moseley, Birmingham, in 1962 to take up a Senior Lectureship at the University of Birmingham; he was later made Reader in Music. In 1979 he was a visiting professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand. The number and scope of his works increased, and among those composed during the following decades were two further full-length operas, Under Western Eyes (Op. 51, 1968) and Jane Eyre (Op. 134) (based on the novels by Joseph Conrad and Charlotte Brontë respectively), Symphony No. 2 (Op. 68, 1970), various large-scale choral works with orchestras including the oratorio The Raising of Lazarus (Op. 67, 1970) and Herefordshire Canticles (Op. 93, 1979), a second and third piano sonata (Op. 71, 1972; Op. 157), a second and third string quartet (Op. 91, 1977; Op. 112, 1986), song cycles with piano and/or instrumental ensembles, and accompanied and unaccompanied smaller-scale choral music. On the wide scope of his work, Joubert has commented: "I've never really wanted to be pigeonholed as a composer. I've always wanted to write anything that I was either asked to, or wanted to write. I've never wanted to specialise, although I have to a certain extent been pigeonholed already. I'd rather not be looked upon as sort of limited in that way." He was Composer in Residence at the Peterborough Cathedral Festival in 1990 (which also commissioned his Six Short Preludes on English Hymn Tunes, for chamber organ (Op. 125, 1990), and at the Presteigne Festival in 1997, throughout the United Kingdom. These included world premières of the complete version of the oratorio Wings of Faith (Op. 143, 2000, 2003) which was performed by the Ex Cathedra choir, soloists and Academy of Vocal Music, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Jeffrey Skidmore on 22 March 2007 at The Oratory, Birmingham; and a new Oboe Concerto performed by oboist Adrian Wilson and the Orchestra of the Swan conducted by David Curtis on 12 July 2007 at Lichfield Cathedral. The celebrations culminated in the world première of Five Songs of Incarnation (Op. 163, 2007) for tenor and choir which was commissioned through Joubertiade 2007 and performed on 24 November 2007 at St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham. In the same year, Lyrita released a celebratory CD of a recording (originally taped in 1994) of Joubert's Symphony No. 1 played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vernon Handley. ==Personal life==

Joubert and his wife Mary, a pianist, had a daughter Anna, who is a cellist, He died on 7 January 2019, aged 91. Both Birmingham Bach Choir and Ex Cathedra sang at his funeral. ==Selected recordings==

• Cello Concerto: Raphael Wallfisch, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, William Boughton, Lyrita SRCD344 (2014) • Chamber & Instrumental Music: Brodsky Quartet, Patricia Rozario, John McCabe, Mark Bebbington, SOMM CD 060-2 (2007) • Choral Music: Choir of Gloucester Cathedral, Adrian Partington, Priory Records PRCD 1028 (2010) • Choral Music: Louis Halsey Singers, BMS 102 CDH (1975, reissued 2007) • Four Song Cycles: Lesley-Jane Rogers, John McCabe, John Turner, Toccata 0045 (2007) • The Instant Moment, Temps Perdu, Sinfonietta: Henry Herford, English String Orchestra, William Boughton, BMS (2007), reissued Naxos 8571368 (2015) • Jane Eyre: April Fredrick, David Stout, English Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Woods, Somm 263-2 (2017) • Oboe Concerto: Jinny Shaw, Orchestra Nova, George Vass, Guild GM 7383 (2013) • Octet: Dionysus Ensemble, online (2025) • Organ Music: Tom Winpenny, Toccata 0398 (2017) • Piano Concerto & Symphony No. 3: Martin Jones, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, William Boughton, Lyrita SRCD367 (2018) • The Piano Music of John Joubert: Duncan Honeybourne, Prima Facie 162/3 (2019) • South of the Line (choral music): Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir, Paul Spicer, Somm 0166 (2017) • St Mark Passion, Missa Wellensis & Locus iste: Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens, Resonus 10198 (2017) • String Quartets Nos. 1-3: Brodsky Quartet, Somm 0113 (2012) • Symphony No.1: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley, Lyrita SRCD322 (2007) • Symphony No. 2: Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Martin Yates, Dutton Epoch CDLX 7270 (2013) ==Major works==

Joubert composed over 180 works including three symphonies; violin, piano, cello, oboe and bassoon concertos; and seven operas. He had a major choral output including Christmas carols. Some of his major works are listed below; a fuller list may be viewed on his website. Stage • Silas Marner (Op. 31, 1961), opera in three acts after the dramatic novel by George Eliot • Under Western Eyes (Op. 51, 1968), opera in three acts, libretto by Cedric Cliffe after the novel by Joseph Conrad • The Prisoner (Op.75, 1973), opera in two acts, libretto by Stephen Tunnicliffe based on Tolstoy's short story "Too Dear!". Commissioned for the 400th. Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I Grammar School for Boys, Barnet, North London. First performance March 1973 conducted by David Patrick. • Jane Eyre (Op. 134, 1987–1997), opera in three acts, libretto by Kenneth Birkin after the novel by Charlotte Brontë Orchestral • Symphony No. 1, Op. 20 (1955, rev. 1956) • Sinfonietta, Op. 38 (1962) • Symphony No. 2, Op. 68 (1970) • Déploration, Op. 92 (1978) • Temps Perdu, Op. 99 (1984) • Symphony No. 3 (on themes from the opera Jane Eyre), Op. 178 (2014–17) Concertante • Violin Concerto, Op. 13 (1954) • Piano Concerto, Op. 25 (1958) • Bassoon Concerto, Op. 77 (1974) • Oboe Concerto, Op. 160 (2006) • Cello Concerto, Op. 171 (2011) Chamber • String Quartets • String Quartet No. 1 in A-Flat, Op. 1 (1950) • String Quartet No. 2, Op. 91 (1977) • String Quartet No. 3, Op. 112 (1986) • String Quartet No. 4, Op. 121 (1988) • Viola Sonata, Op. 6 (1952) • String Trio, Op. 30 (1958) • Octet, Op. 33 (1961) • Tombeau, Op. 86 (1981), for unaccompanied viola da gamba • Piano Trio, Op. 113 (1986) Keyboard • Piano • Piano Sonata No. 1 (in one movement), Op. 24 (1957) • Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 71 (1972) • Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 157 (date unknown) • Organ • Passacaglia and Fugue Op. 35 (1961) • Prelude on "Picardy" (date unknown) • Six Short Preludes on English Hymn Tunes, Op. 125 (1990) Oratorios • Urbs Beata (Op. 42, 1963) commissioned to celebrate the completion of St George's Cathedral, Cape Town. It received its first performance under the direction of organist and choirmaster Keith Jewell. • The Raising of Lazarus (Op. 67, 1970) • Wings of Faith (Op. 143, Part 1 ("The Word Fulfilled"): 2000, Part 2 ("The Transforming Spirit"): 2003) • An English Requiem (op.166, 2010) commissioned for the Gloucester 2010 Three Choirs Festival, receiving its first performance at the festival on 9 August 2010. Anthems, carols, hymns and other choral works • Torches (Op. 7a, 1951), carol • O Lorde, the Maker of Al Thing (Op. 7b, 1952), anthem • There is No Rose of Such Virtue (Op. 14, 1954), carol • Let There Be Light (Op. 56, 1969), commissioned by the Collegiate Choir at Illinois Wesleyan University • How are my foes increased, Lord! (Op.61, 1969), Commissioned for David Patrick and the Choir of Barnet Parish Church. • Five Carols For Five Voices (1973) ("Of a Rose, a lovely Rose", "Make we joy now in this feast", "Jesu, son most sweet and dear", "When Christ was born of Mary", "Let us gather hand in hand") composed for The Scholars (Vocal Group) • Herefordshire Canticles (Op. 93, 1979), for chorus, boys' choir, solos and orchestra • A Hymne to God the Father (1987), hymn • Rochester Triptych (Op. 139, 1997: made up of Universal Nature (Op. 139, date unknown), Impartial Death (Op. 139, date unknown) and Blest Glorious Man (Op. 126, 1991)), for choir and organ • The Souls of the Righteous (Op. 142, 1999), anthem • Five Songs of Incarnation ("Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose", "Make We Joy Now in this Feast", "I Sing of a Maiden", "When Christ was Born of Mary", "Let Us Gather Hand in Hand") (Op. 163, 2007), for tenor and choir ==References==