Glendower Jones

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Glendower Jones is the proprietor of Classical Vocal Reprints, a publisher and distributor of classical vocal sheet music located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His collection of opera scores, art songs in a multitude of languages, and other sheet music is "one of the largest private vocal music collections in the country...Jones estimates that between his own catalog of over 5,000 titles and those of the publishers he is a retailer for, he carries many more than 200,000 song titles." After acquiring Recital Publications, Jones's catalog increased to 7,000. He also acquired the vocal music portion of Lincoln Square Music in 1993 and the vocal inventory of Music House Binzer in 1996.

Jones has an almost cult-like following, as demonstrated by the social media hashtag #getitfromglendower and a specialized Facebook group called "GetitfromGlendower" He has been called the "Sheet Music King", a "magical vocal score wizard", and "the absolute expert on vocal literature." Jones' own Classical Vocal Reprints website carries testimonials from such luminaries of the opera world as Susan Graham, Renee Fleming, and Thomas Hampson, as well. In addition, organizations such as The African American Art Song Alliance, the Hampsong Foundation, Sparks & Wiry Cries Art Song Magazine and the The Wagner Society of Dallas list Jones' Classical Vocal Reprints as a major source of sheet music

Singing

Glendower Jones is a native of Arkansas and grew up in Louisiana and Texas. He studied trombone, but when he was a master's degree student at Southern Methodist University he experienced issues relating to his embouchure which led him to study voice in earnest.

While living in New York City from 1978 until 2006 Jones sang in the famous Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys (considered by many to be the leading American ensemble of its kind in the Anglican choral tradition)., where he garnered critical praise for his singing from major music critics of the time, who noted that "In the Missa Brevis [by Ned Rorem], Glendower Jones dealt handsomely with the melismatic setting of the Benedictus for unaccompanied baritone voice."

During his career as a singer, Jones performed with many organizations, most notably the New York Choral Artists, The Opera Ensemble of New York, and The New York Ensemble for Early Music, as well as the music festivals of Aldeburgh, Banff, Marlboro and Spoleto.

Sheet Music

While in New York, a fellow opera cast member introduced Jones to Joseph Patelson, of Patelson's Music. “I met Joseph, and we got to be friends,” Jones recalls. “I’d go upstairs and have a seat, and we’d just talk about things.” He joined the staff of Patelson's in 1985 and worked there until 1990, having also started his own music business in 1987. Jones moved his family and his business to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2006 and has operated continuously since.

American Art Song

Asked in 2013 what was selling best, Jones answered "American new music." He has said that he wanted to help composers looking for an alternative to the large publishing giants who were not interested in new vocal compositions. “Glendower Jones has a unique place in the music publishing industry,” says composer Lori Laitman. “I remember being amazed the first time that I spoke to him—because he already knew so much of my music. He has been wonderful to me as a composer.”

Publishing and distributing new vocal works of American composers has been a big part of Jones' legacy, helping young composers to establish a foothold within the business and keeping established works in circulation. Among the many American composers he has helped in this way are composers Mark Abel, Lora Aborn, H. Leslie Adams, Ernst Bacon, Amy Beach, John W. Becker, Christopher Berg, Chester Biscardi, Charles Bloom, Howard Boatwright, Edmund Barton Bullock, Harry T. Burleigh, Michael Ching, Tom Cipullo, Judith Cloud, Richard Cumming, Chris DeBlasio, John Edmunds, Joseph Fennimore, Eric Funk, Vivian Fung, Keith Gates, Scott Gendel, David Grusin, Daron Hagen, Jacqueline Hairston, Juliana Hall, Martin Hennessy, Benton Hess, Mark Hijleh, Jaren Hinckley, Timothy Hoekman, Lee Hoiby, Richard Hundley, William Jordan, Roger Keele, Brian Kershner, Steven Mark Kohn, Lori Laitman, Phillip Lasser, Gilda Lyons, Edward MacDowell, Ben Moore, Robert Nelson, Robert Owens, Edwin Penhorwood, Paul Phillips, Russell Platt, Florence Price, Valerie Saalbach, John Sarkissian, Gene Scheer, Tom Schnauber, Gary Schocker, David Sisco, Alan Louis Smith, Larry Alan Smith, Robert Spillman, Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, Joyce Hope Suskind, Andrew Thomas, David Bennett Thomas, Richard Pearson Thomas, Bruce Trinkley, Joelle Wallach, Scott Wheeler, Jeffrey Wood, Carlton R. Young.

Glendower Jones also serves on the Ernst Bacon Society's Advisory Board.

Art Song from Around the World

Beyond the borders of the U.S., Glendower's influence in the world of art song is felt keenly. He has published collections of art songs from traditions other than the American tradition, including collections of Bulgarian, English, Japanese, Korean, and Russian art songs, among others.

History Preserved

Glendower Jones has been interviewed as part of the National Association of Music Merchants' Oral History Program.

References

This article "Glendower Jones" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Glendower Jones. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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