Kelsey Jones

Who was Kelsey Jones?

Herbert Kelsey Jones was a Canadian composer, pianist, harpsichordist, teacher, and founder of the Saint John Symphony Orchestra, now known as Symphony New Brunswick, which he conducted from 1950 to 1953. He was born in South Norwalk, Norwalk, Connecticut, but grew up in Portland, Maine and then New Brunswick. He moved to Montreal in 1954, where he became a member of the faculty of McGill University's Faculty of Music. Here he taught many different courses through the years, including History, Harpsichord & Piano, and Theory, but his greatest influence was as a teacher of Counterpoint. He retired in 1984 after which he was granted the title Emeritus Professor.

In Montreal he was active as a Teacher, Performer and Composer. He was a founding member of the Baroque Trio of Monteal, along with Mario Duschenes and Melvin Berman. He also performed as a solo pianist and duo pianist with his wife Rosabelle Jones from the early 1950s until an accident that rendered her paraplegic in 1974.

Some of Jones's compositions include: "Miramichi Ballad", "Sam Slick", Nonsense Songs, "Four Pieces for Recorder Quartet", "Nonsense Songs", Prophecy of Micah, and Jazzum Opus Unum.