Maurice Jacobson


Maurice Jacobson OBE was an English pianist, composer, music publisher and music festival judge.
Jacobson was born in London, England, on 1 January 1896, into a Jewish family. He studied piano at the Modern School of Music, then composition at the Royal College of Music under respected composers Charles Villiers Stanford and Gustav Holst until 1923 at which point he produced his first piece.
He was director and later chairman of the music publishing firm J. Curwen & Sons.
He appeared as a "castaway" on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 20 January 1969, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1971.
He died in Brighton, England, on 2 February 1976, and was buried at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery in London.

Compositions

His setting of Ho-Ro, My Nut-Brown Maiden, a traditional Gaelic song translated into English in 1883 by John Stuart Blackie, featured in the film I Know Where I'm Going!, remains well-known. In addition to short instrumental pieces, chamber music, and songs, he composed ballets and cantatas including