Wilfred Josephs(1927-97): a Geordie and another neglected Brit.

[Dundonnell]

Wilfred Josephs was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (thus a 'Geordie'),  trained as a dentist and indeed worked at that profession until he was 33. He is best( ) known as a composer of music for film(eg 'All Creatures Great and Small') and for British TV series('The Great War', 1963 and 'I, Claudius', 1976) but he was astonishingly prolific. Josephs wrote 12 symphonies and 22 concertos, plus operas, an acclaimed Requiem, written in memory of the Jews who perished in the Second World War, etc etc.

I have taped performances of Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 5 "Pastoral" and 7 "Winter" which I hope to make available in due course.

For the life of me I cannot even remember what any of the music sounds like but there is a Wilfred Josephs Society (of which Sir Charles Mackerras was President) with its own website which does give some idea of just how prolific he actually was:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/josephs/

Like to join me here, Jeffrey? I am sure that you have written about Josephs previously

[vandermolen]

Present and correct Colin 

I loved his music for 'The Great War' and, in my youth, had a fine LP of his film and TV music ('Cider with Rosie', 'A Voyage Round my Father' + The Great War). In fact the Great War series (now on DVD) was interesting, from a CD nutter point of view, as one could spot the classical music used in the series - I recall that' Tintagel' featured a fair bit. Like you I have little recollection of what Joseph's 'serious' music sounded like but I think that I had his 'Requiem' on LP - but kind people are offering downloads of some symphonies, which I greatly look forward to exploring. Josephs, like Lo- Presti in the USA ( a great composer I think - discovered by me thanks to this forum) has been very much left out in the cold.

I think that Rawsthorne also trained as a dentist!

[Dundonnell]

 

[Dax]

Josephs is the composer of one of my favourite TV themes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71s_Y37_KYo

but this is not the exact version actually used for I, Claudius, is it?

Ah, no. Here it is. Much better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKwaCTfa1EE&feature=related