Welsh Journals

1922 for his performance in the London to Land's End Trial of the Motor Cycling Club. Following the war he took up a post at his old School, Uppingham, but soon left for London to resume his studies at the Royal College of Music with the composer John Ireland as his composition teacher until 1923. Moeran's first published work In the Mountain Country, appeared in 1921 and two orchestral rhapsodies, a string quartet, further piano pieces and songs were to follow by 1925. He spent his adult life in Norfolk. Somerset and Suffolk with his parents and from 1934 onwards much time was spent between Kenmare, County Kerry, in Southern Ireland and Kington, Herefordshire, where his father lived in retirement until his death in 1943. By the time of Jack Moeran's death in 1950 his mother had moved to be with her other son Graham at Ledbury. Moeran came from a privileged background and whilst at Kington the family employed cooks and a chauffeur. Throughout much of his life. Moeran received a monthly allowance from his mother. During the 1930's Moeran was working on his Symphony in G minor but also found time to write some lovely smaller scale compositions. Of all Moeran's works the Symphony, which he began in 1934 and completed three years later. probably had the greatest impact. He stated that the Symphony was imagined "amongst the mountain and seaboard of County Kerry and the sand-dunes and marshes of East Anglia". This fine symphonic work was followed by the violin Concerto. a nostalgic composition which expressed affection for the beautiful County Kerry. If Ireland and Norfolk were the spur for the Symphony it was Moeran's rambles over the hills of the Welsh Border Country which inspired the Sinfonietta. a major three movement work ranked high in his output. Jack Moeran once told his friend Lionel Hill whilst they walked on the high ground of Hergest Ridge between Kington and the village of Gladestry in Radnor that "the inspiration for my Sinfonietta came to me up here. especially the middle movement which should be played at a brisk walking pace". The bracing air and atmosphere of the Radnorshire hills around is well reflected in this lovely music. Other works composed whilst Moeran was at Kington were the Overture for a Masque and the Cello Concerto. Jack Moeran lived with his parents at Kington in the Georgian house known as Gravel Hill and it was from here that he made frequent visits across the border into Radnorshire making long treks over the Radnor Forest. He often visited his very good friend Dr. Dick Jobson who at the time lived with his parents at The Laurels in New Radnor. He and Dick Jobson had known each other since their younger days. Dr Jobson was the family doctor in New Radnor and when in the area Moeran would often go with him on his rounds. Whilst the Doctor did his visits Moeran used to sit in the car composing his music. They shared common interests in music, model trains and photography. Dick Jobson, who was both an accomplished clarinettist and a photographer. had built a brass model traction engine which worked by steam and ran on rails around the garden of his house and which was capable of carrying a person aboard it. Moeran had always had a keen and extremely knowledgable interest in railways and one can imagine the pleasure he