John Cozens (musician)
Encyclopedia
John Cozens was a Canadian arts administrator, arranger
, choir
conductor
, and tenor
of English birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1950.
, London
, Cozens moved with his family to Canada in 1913 at the age of 7. At the age of 12 he began singing on the radio and performing as a church soloist; pursuits he was actively involved in from 1918-1950 in Toronto. At the age of 18 he entered the Toronto Conservatory of Music where he was a voice and conducting student of Francis Combe from 1924-1929. After graduating he pursued further studies privately with Nina de Gedeonoff from 1930-1935.
, Cozens and his wife, singer Winnifred Pitman, founded and directed the Toronto's Council Choir. He served as the conductor of several other Toronto based choirs, including the Tallis Choir, which specialized in polyphonic music, from 1935-1965. In 1951 he and S. Drummond Wolff
co-founded the Orpheus Choir of Toronto which performed for four seasons. In 1972 he began conducting the Ontario Civil Service Choir with whom he was still active in the 1990s.
Cozens was secretary of the Canadian Music Council from 1944-1976. Upon his retirement from that position he was awarded the Canadian Music Council Medal for outstanding service to Canadian music and was named honorary secretary. He served as the publicity director of the Toronto Conservatory of Music from 1945-1949. He was manager of the Toronto branch of the Western Music Co. from 1949-1952. He held the post of chief of protocol for the Ontario government from 1960–1972 and later worked in a similar capacity for the Canadian National Exhibition
.
During his life Cozens also was a frequent guest lecturer on sacred music. He was named an Honorary Life Member of the Royal School of Church Music
in 1987. He was also a heraldic artist. He died in Port Hope, Ontario
at the age of 92.
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
of English birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1950.
Early life and education
Born in TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Cozens moved with his family to Canada in 1913 at the age of 7. At the age of 12 he began singing on the radio and performing as a church soloist; pursuits he was actively involved in from 1918-1950 in Toronto. At the age of 18 he entered the Toronto Conservatory of Music where he was a voice and conducting student of Francis Combe from 1924-1929. After graduating he pursued further studies privately with Nina de Gedeonoff from 1930-1935.
Career
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Cozens and his wife, singer Winnifred Pitman, founded and directed the Toronto's Council Choir. He served as the conductor of several other Toronto based choirs, including the Tallis Choir, which specialized in polyphonic music, from 1935-1965. In 1951 he and S. Drummond Wolff
S. Drummond Wolff
Stanley Drummond Wolff was an English organist, choirmaster, composer, and music educator who was primarily active in North America. His compositional output primarily consists of anthems for choir and works for solo organ. In the 1980s he completed and published four volumes of hymns...
co-founded the Orpheus Choir of Toronto which performed for four seasons. In 1972 he began conducting the Ontario Civil Service Choir with whom he was still active in the 1990s.
Cozens was secretary of the Canadian Music Council from 1944-1976. Upon his retirement from that position he was awarded the Canadian Music Council Medal for outstanding service to Canadian music and was named honorary secretary. He served as the publicity director of the Toronto Conservatory of Music from 1945-1949. He was manager of the Toronto branch of the Western Music Co. from 1949-1952. He held the post of chief of protocol for the Ontario government from 1960–1972 and later worked in a similar capacity for the Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
.
During his life Cozens also was a frequent guest lecturer on sacred music. He was named an Honorary Life Member of the Royal School of Church Music
Royal School of Church Music
The largest church music organisation in Britain, the Royal School of Church Music was founded in 1927 by Sir Sydney Nicholson and has 11,000 members worldwide; it was originally named the School of English Church Music. It seeks to enable church music in the present and invest in its future,...
in 1987. He was also a heraldic artist. He died in Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
at the age of 92.