Identifying an unknown composer

For MUSIC REQUESTS and QUESTIONS about availability, including Copyright issues
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PeterGibson
Posts: 13
Joined: 03 Mar 2012 18:32

Identifying an unknown composer

Post by PeterGibson »

Many years ago I acquired at least part of the stock of a travelling music salesman (A different world where someone could make a living by travelling around the country selling sheet music! :shock: ).
Some of those pieces have now seen the light of day again on CPDL, but there are a few interesting problems cropping up; in this particular case: who is the composer?

I have the name: A. Miles Moss, the work: Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G, and next to nothing else.
Who is he? When was he born and died? Is there any other information about him?

Web searches have come up with nothing: No entry on CPDL, IMSLP or Wikipedia; no music sellers have the work listed as even a print-to-order archive item; there haven't even been hits on genealogy sites!

The clues:
  1. Dedicated to Mrs. Migotti.
  2. Published in London by "NOVELLO & COMPANY". Does this pre- or post-date the company being called "Novello and Sons"?
  3. Price 4d for an 8 page piece
  4. Possible code number of 16522
  5. No copyright line of any sort.
These clues are pretty tenuous, buy they're all I have to go on! They do seem to imply a late 19th/early 20th century origin, but that's not really sufficient to pin him down in terms of Year of death + 70 years copyright.
Has anyone come across this chap, and have any information about him?
choralia
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Re: Identifying an unknown composer

Post by choralia »

Worldcat reports some works by Arthur Miles Moss published by Novello. This page provides some details about him:
Arthur Miles Moss: This was the Revd. Arthur Miles Moss ; b. 12th May 1872, Waterloo, Lancashire; d. 7th Jan 1948, Seaford, Sussex , clergyman and entomologist who was also a notable amateur artist, musician, organist and an organ-builder who worked in Brazil and Peru.
The article on Wikipedia reports that he was also a musician, although his activity as a clergyman and especially as a lepidopterist appears more prominent.

The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G is mentioned here as a new Novello publication in 1938:

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Max
PeterGibson
Posts: 13
Joined: 03 Mar 2012 18:32

Re: Identifying an unknown composer

Post by PeterGibson »

That is brilliant. Thank you very much!

Clearly searching on Wikipedia for "Miles Moss" (or anywhere else for that matter) isn't the same as "Miles-Moss"!

So that's one more to be added to the ever-expanding list of works to reset ...
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