DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

JOTA JUDAS MACCAB.EUS 549
tabula arae dextrae ante chorum honesta sane
facie ac blandis oeulis. J. i;. s.-B.
JOTA. One of the most popular of north
Spanish dances, especially in the province of
Aragon and in the villages of Navarre whose
shores are bathed by the Ebro. Its origin dates
from the 12th century, and is attributed to a
Moor named Aben Jot, who, expelled from
Valencia owing to his licentious singing, took
refuge in a village of Aragon. There liis effort
was received with enthusiasm, while in Valencia
the governor continued to impose severe jiunishmeuts
on its performance. Some authorities
state that at that epoch it was called ' canario.
The Jota is a kind of waltz, but witli more
freedom in the dancing, always in three-time. It
is danced in couples, vis-a-vis, each couple independent
of the other, but sometimes a circle
is formed, and is generally accompanied with
guitars, bandurrias, and at times with castanets,
pandereta (a small tambourine), and triangle.
In the north of Spain it is much sung and
played, and in Aragon on every possible occasion.
A Spanish writer says, that where the Jota is,
there is always gaiety, and where there are
Aragonese the Jota is never wanting. A good
Aragonese has a repertoire of its ' coplas,' which
is inexhaustible, for, should his memory fail,
his facility for improvisation will not.
There are many Jotas, in fact almost every
town in the north of Spain has its own, but the
best known is the Jota Aragonesa of which both
Glinka and Liszt have made use. The following
from Glinka's orchestral overture or piece, ' Jota
Aragonesa,' is the melody
H. V. H.
JOULE, Benjamin St. John B.a.ptist, born
at Salford, Nov. 8, 1S17, studied the violin
under Richard Cudmore, and the organ, singing,
and theory, under Jose[ih John Harris. From
May 8, 1846, to March 20, 185.3, he was organist
and choirmaster at Holy Trinitv Church, Hulme,
and from April 28, 1849, to Oct. 3, 1852, also
held a similar position at St. Margaret's, 'Whalley
Range, Manchester. On March 27, 1853, he
became honorary organist of St. Peter's Church,
Manchester. He was President of the Manchester
Vocal Society, and author or comprler
of The Hymns and Canticles pointed for Chant-
Diredorium Chori Anglicanvm,
ing, 1847 ;
1849 ; a very comprehensive Coiiection of
JJ'ords of Anthems, 1S59 ; a pointed Psalter,
1&65 ; and cither works connected with choral
service, several of wliich have reached many
editions. He lectured on Churcli Music, and
contributed to various periodicals. He was
musical critic to the Manchester Conrier from
1850 to 1870. [He died in Manchester, May
21,1895.] w. H. H.
JUBILATE—the first word of the Vulgate
version— is the Psalm (100th) which is given
as an alternative to the Benedictus, to follow
the second lesson in the morning service of the
Anglican Church. It did not appear in the
Prayer Book of 1549, but was added in the
revised edition of 1552. Consequently there is
no chant given for it in Merbecke's first adapta-
tion of ancient chants to the English service
called 'The Book of Common Praier Noted,'
which was published in 1550.
In the 18th century the Jubilate was much
oftener used than the Benedictus. One of the
most distinguished clerical writers on the choral
service of the church, Jebb, has observed tliat
the Benedictus is so infinitely preferable in
every respect that it is impossible to attribute
the preference AN'hich is given to the Jubilate to
any other motive than its being shorter. In
confirmation of this view it is interesting to note
that while the enthusiasm of the Reformation
was still hot, the great musicians of that time,
Tallis, Byrd, and Farrant, chose the incomparably
more beautiful and more appropriate, but
longer, Benedictus ; but when that enthusiasm
was worn away hardly anything but the shorter
Jubilate is to be met with. If we take, for
instance, the most famous collections of the
ancient service of the chrrrch in their order, v o
find no setting of the Jubilate in Day's collecticu
(1560 and 1565), three in Barnard's collecti' u
(1641), eight in Boyce's (1760), and no less tliiai
fifteen in Arnold's (1790).
Handel set the Jubilate for the thanksgiving
service which was held after the Peace of
Utrecht, which was concluded March 31, 1713.
Mendelssohn also set the Psalm, which forn>s
part of his service in A. c. H. h. p. ; corrections,
etc. hv w. H. r.
JUBILEE OVERTURE, THE (in E), by C.
M. von 'Weber ; composed for the festival held
at Dresden in commemoration of the fiftie; h
anniversary of the accession of Frederick
Augustus I. of Saxony ; op. 59. The autograph
is dated Dresden, Sept. 11, 1818, and the first
performance was at the Court Theatre on Sept.
20. The overture winds up witli ' God save the
King.' "Weber had written a Jubel cantata for
the occasion,
overture — an
but it was put aside,
entirely independent
and the
work—
jterformed instead. o.
JUDAS MACCAB.aEUS. The twelfth of
Handel's English oratorios, written by command
of the Prince of "Wales. Handel himself is s:.:d