John Cozens

Cozens, John

John Cozens. Administrator, arranger, choir conductor, tenor, b Tottenham (London) 27 Apr 1906, naturalized Canadian 1950, d Port Hope, Ont, 5 Apr 1999. He emigrated to Canada in 1913 and studied voice and conducting 1924-9 with Francis Combe at the TCM, and privately 1930-35 with Nina de Gedeonoff. He was a church and radio soloist in Toronto 1918-50 and also lectured on sacred music. Cozens and his wife, soloist Winnifred Pitman, formed Toronto's Council Choir during the Depression. He conducted 1935-65 the Tallis Choir, which specialized in polyphonic music, as well as other area choirs. He served 1945-9 as publicity director for the TCM and 1949-52 as manager of the Toronto branch of the Western Music Co. Cozens worked 1960-72 as chief of protocol for the Ontario government, and later for the Canadian National Exhibition, and also was a heraldic artist. In 1951, with S. Drummond Wolff, he founded a Toronto Orpheus Choir which sang for four seasons. In 1972 he began conducting the Ontario Civil Service Choir (with which he was still active in the 1990s). Cozens was secretary 1944-76 of the Canadian Music Council and retired as honorary secretary with the Canadian Music Council Medal for outstanding service to Canadian music. In 1987 he was made an Honorary Life Member of the RSCM. He edited choral music for Concordia, Stainer & Bell, Thompson, and Western Music and composed two patriotic songs ( Frederick Harris). He compiled Uncommon Christmas Carols (Schmitt, Hall & McCreary 1941), Six Christmas Carols (Thompson 1948), and other collections of church music.