Daniel Jones was born in Pembroke in 1912. He was educated at Swansea Grammar School, Swansea University and the RAM. He travelled extensively in Europe and had we are told an "encyclopedic knowledge of languages". His wartime years were spent mostly as a decoder at Bletchley Park.
Jones forged a highly individual path particularly through his metrical experiments, which were influenced by his understanding of patterns and symmetrical shapes in nature (he kept a microscope for noting plant structures). His complex metres juxtaposed phrases with time structures such as 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 7 in a manner which creates a characteristic ambiguity.
He is at his most characteristic in the eight string quartets and the thirteen symphonies.
symphonies:
no. 1, 1945
no. 2, 1950
no. 3, 1951
no. 4, 1954
no. 5, 1958
no. 6, 1964
no. 7, 1972
no. 8, 1972
no. 9, 1974
no. 10, 1981
no. 11, 1983
no. 12, 1985
no. 13, 1992
string quartets:
no. 1, 1946
no. 2, 1957
no. 3, 1975
no. 4, 1978
no. 5, 1980
no. 6, 1982
no. 7, 1988
no. 8, 1993
Jones forged a highly individual path particularly through his metrical experiments, which were influenced by his understanding of patterns and symmetrical shapes in nature (he kept a microscope for noting plant structures). His complex metres juxtaposed phrases with time structures such as 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 7 in a manner which creates a characteristic ambiguity.
He is at his most characteristic in the eight string quartets and the thirteen symphonies.
symphonies:
no. 1, 1945
no. 2, 1950
no. 3, 1951
no. 4, 1954
no. 5, 1958
no. 6, 1964
no. 7, 1972
no. 8, 1972
no. 9, 1974
no. 10, 1981
no. 11, 1983
no. 12, 1985
no. 13, 1992
string quartets:
no. 1, 1946
no. 2, 1957
no. 3, 1975
no. 4, 1978
no. 5, 1980
no. 6, 1982
no. 7, 1988
no. 8, 1993