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Gordon Jacob's (1895-1984) Old Wine in New Bottles (1959) and More Old Wine in New Bottles (1977) are regularly performed works within the canon of chamber wind repertoire. Composed for thirteen instruments, the original work and its sequel are a reflection of Jacob's refined compositional style, which emphasizes unique textures, clear formal structures, and recognizable folk melodies.
Gordon Jacob was a British composer from Upper Norwood, London. During his youth he studied piano and took up percussion in order to join his school band and orchestra. After serving in the First World War, Jacob enrolled at the Royal College of Music (RCM) where he studied composition with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Shortly after graduation, he was offered an instructor position at the RCM. He remained on faculty for forty-two years, instructing many musicians who would later become internationally recognized composers, including Imogen Holst, Sir Malcolm Arnold, and Philip Cannon. As a composer, he has approximately four-hundred works to his name and is best known in the area of wind band for his compositions William Byrd Suite (1922), An Original Suite (1928), Music for a Festival (1951), Flag of Stars (1954), and Giles Farnaby Suite (1967).
This study is an analysis of and conductor's guide for two of Jacob's chamber works that have not been the subject of any previous scholarly publications. The opening chapters include a brief biography of the composer emphasizing the musical developments of his youth, his achievements as an educator, and a discussion of his compositional style. The following two chapters delve into Old Wine in New Bottles and More Old Wine in New Bottles, respectively. Each includes an original historical account of the piece, discussion of the preexisting folk music, theoretical analysis, and suggestions for the conductor. This study is intended to assist conductors in the score-study and preparation process, leading to more effective rehearsals and informed performances.