Biography
Born on 25 May 1873 in London, England, and passing away on 22 March 1963 in England, Joyce earned the nicknames The English Waltz King and The English Waldteufel during his lifetime. Worldwide audiences still recognize his piece ‘Dreaming’ at once, though many cannot name its composer. Leading a ballroom orchestra that commanded high demand for elegant events from the 1900s forward left little room for writing music, which remained a sideline. Frustration with existing dance repertoire prompted him to create original pieces, and ‘Dreaming’ secured his reputation as a composer. Among his additional titles stand ‘Acushla’, ‘Bohemia’, ‘Love And Life In Holland’, ‘Passing Of Salome’, ‘Song Of The River’, ‘Sweet Williams’, ‘A Thousand Kisses’, ‘When The Birds Began To Sing’, ‘The Prince Of Wales Grand March’, ‘Songe D’Automne’, ‘A Thousand Kisses’, ‘Caravan Suite’, ‘Dreams Of You’ and ‘Brighton Hike’. Despite reaching an advanced age, Joyce retained the artistic outlook formed in his youth. From the 1930s onward he found the evolving musical landscape unappealing and produced few fresh compositions.