Johanna Maria Vincent was a Dutch soprano who appeared mostly in oratorio and concert, and is internationally known. She appeared regularly with Willem Mengelberg and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1924 to 1942, including annual concerts and a recording of Bach's St Matthew Passion. She participated in the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's Spring Symphony, with Kathleen Ferrier and Peter Pears. After retiring, she taught at the Haarlem Conservatory.
Jo Vincent onstage in 1953
Spring Symphony is a choral symphony by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 44. The work is scored for soprano, alto and tenor soloists, mixed choir, boys' choir and orchestra. Britten used texts of several poems related to spring, mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries and also one by W. H. Auden. Britten dedicated the work to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The work received its premiere in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on 14 July 1949 as part of the Holland Festival
Britten in 1968