HOLBROOKE, JOSEF CHARLES ), Eng lish composer, was born at Croydon on July 5, 1878, his father being a pianist, and his Scottish mother a professional singer. When his father settled in London Josef became a chorister at St. Anne's Soho, and also attended the church school. In he entered the Royal Academy of Music, where he obtained medals, prizes and scholarships. On leaving the R.A.M. in 1896 he became pianist to a touring company, later returning to Lon don and taking pupils. In 1900 Manns played his symphonic poem The Raven at one of the Crystal Palace Saturday concerts and since then his works, always vigorous and unconventional, have been constantly performed. They include the symphonic poems (with voice parts) Queen Mab (1904) and The Bells (1907) ; Homage to Poe (dramatic choral symphony) (1908) ; Apollo and the Seaman (symphonic music to Herbert Trench's poem, 1908) ; the operas Children of Don (produced in London in 1911) ; Dylan (London, 1913) ; Bronwen and The Wizard (Chicago, 1915) ; and The Enchanted Garden (opera-ballet, 1915) . He has also written concertos for pianoforte (The Song of Gwyn ap Nudd) and violin, some five quartets, a horn trio, three quintets, four sextets and a quantity of smaller works.
See George Lowe, Josef Holbrooke and his Work (192o) .