Jeremy Noble (musicologist)
Jeremy Noble entered the world on the 27th of March 1930 in London. His father James Noble descended from South African missionaries. His mother Avis came from Cornish farming stock. He attended Aldenham School before joining the Intelligence Corps of Allied-occupied Austria for a brief period. From 1949 to 1953 he read Greats at Worcester College, University of Oxford. Music captured his interest during these university years. He published essays on English Renaissance and Baroque music throughout the 1950s.
Noble focused heavily on the life and work of Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez. Researching Josquin required substantial archival research into historical records. He served on the editorial board for the New Josquin Edition which began publication in 1994. Noble wrote the music section of Josquin's Grove Music Online article. He also cowrote the chapter on Josquin with Gustave Reese in The New Grove High Renaissance Masters. Stanley Sadie noted that although only a fraction of his research was published, the breadth and depth of his knowledge made him an important participant in late 20th-century musicology. Anyone working in the field of Renaissance music remained in his debt for the groundbreaking work he did.
His The Telegraph obituary highlighted his vast corpus of research notes. These notes would fill several volumes if put in order. They remained unpublished yet defined his scholarly impact. The musicologist Stanley Sadie praised his generosity towards fellow scholars. This generosity helped establish him as a key figure despite limited publications. His work covered early English music and Venetian music from the 16th and 17th centuries. British music theorists active from 1100 to 1700 formed another major area of study. English church music from 1400 to the English Reformation occupied much of his early focus.
Noble became a critic for The Times in 1960 alongside William Mann and Andrew Porter. He first began writing for Gramophone and speaking for the BBC Third Programme. A melodious and refined voice marked one of his most attractive characteristics. He held posts at The Sunday Telegraph between 1972 and 1976. Colleagues described him as an acute and often acerbic critic. This criticism career ran parallel to his musicological scholarship from the 1950s onwards. He paused these duties to take research fellowships at Birmingham University and the University at Buffalo.
He took two research fellowships during his career. The first occurred at Birmingham University from 1963 to 1966. The second began at the University at Buffalo in 1966. During this time he was a Fellow of the Harvard Institute for Renaissance Studies from 1967 to 1968. Noble returned to UB in 1976 after his post at The Sunday Telegraph. He stayed there until his retirement in 1995 before returning to London. His academic positions allowed him to continue developing his specialized knowledge of Venetian music and English church history.
Noble was gay and kept a private personal life with no long-term partner. The Telegraph described him as loyal and kind. He remained a stout believer in Enlightenment values and Western civilisation in general. He was convinced that anyone could share in those values given patience and goodwill. These beliefs shaped his interactions with colleagues and students throughout his decades of work. He died on the 30th of June 2017 leaving behind a legacy of unpublished notes and published articles.
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Common questions
When and where was Jeremy Noble born?
Jeremy Noble entered the world on the 27th of March 1930 in London. His father James Noble descended from South African missionaries while his mother Avis came from Cornish farming stock.
What were the main areas of research for musicologist Jeremy Noble?
Jeremy Noble focused heavily on the life and work of Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez. He also covered early English music, Venetian music from the 16th and 17th centuries, and British music theorists active from 1100 to 1700.
Which universities did Jeremy Noble hold fellowships at during his career?
Jeremy Noble took two research fellowships during his career with the first occurring at Birmingham University from 1963 to 1966. The second began at the University at Buffalo in 1966 before he returned there again after his post at The Sunday Telegraph until his retirement in 1995.
For which publications did Jeremy Noble work as a critic?
Noble became a critic for The Times in 1960 alongside William Mann and Andrew Porter. He held posts at The Sunday Telegraph between 1972 and 1976 and wrote for Gramophone while speaking for the BBC Third Programme.
When did Jeremy Noble die and what legacy did he leave behind?
He died on the 30th of June 2017 leaving behind a legacy of unpublished notes and published articles. His vast corpus of research notes would fill several volumes if put in order yet remained unpublished despite defining his scholarly impact.