Reginald Jacques was born in 1894 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire and studied at Queen's College, Oxford, where he later became organist and director of music in 1926. Reginald Jacques was also conductor of the Oxford Orchestra Society from 1930 to 1936. From 1931 to 1960 he was conductor of The Bach Choir in London. In 1936 he founded his own Jacques Orchestra, which he conducted until 1960. In 1954 he was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He died in 1969.