German: Merrie England Suite / Nell Gwyn / Gipsy Suite / etc

'There is only one man to follow me who has genius, and that is Edward German.' Thus did Sir Arthur Sullivan, in the last years of his life, acknowledge the stature of the modest but highly talented composer German Edward Jones, born on 17 February 1862 in the family room at the front of the Corn Market Inn, now known as the Old Town Hall Vaults, on St Mary's Street in the Shropshire market town of Whitchurch. The somewhat unusual first name may well have been a variation of the slightly more common Welsh nomenclature of Garmon, although it seems that the family always referred to the lad as Jim! His father, John David Jones, besides being owner of the Inn, was also honorary organist and choirmaster at the local Congregational church and his mother, Elizabeth (née Cox), while not a practising musician, had a great love of all things musical and undoubtedly took pains to foster the same feelings in her son. Edward was the second of five children, all of whom displayed musical ability, and he grew up in a calm, well- ordered household amidst pleasant, pastoral surroundings.