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Robert John Godfrey, pianist, composer and philosopher was born at Leeds Abbey Farm on the LeedsCastleEstateinKent,England on the 30th
of July 1947. His father was Lt John Godfrey, a war hero who won the MilitaryCrossduringWW2inBurma. His mother was Patricia Boucher
whose father Richard farmed the Leeds Castle estate.GodfreywaseducatedatFinchden Manor in Tenterden, which was described by its founder
George Lyward as a"therapeuticcommunityforintelligentadolescents"; other alumni of which include Alexis Korner and Tom Robinson.
Godfrey's entry into the world of music came late. He didn' ...read more
Robert John Godfrey, pianist, composer and philosopher was born at Leeds Abbey Farm on the LeedsCastleEstateinKent,England on the 30th
of July 1947. His father was Lt John Godfrey, a war hero who won the MilitaryCrossduringWW2inBurma. His mother was Patricia Boucher
whose father Richard farmed the Leeds Castle estate.GodfreywaseducatedatFinchden Manor in Tenterden, which was described by its founder
George Lyward as a"therapeuticcommunityforintelligentadolescents"; other alumni of which include Alexis Korner and Tom Robinson.
Godfrey's entry into the world of music came late. He didn't start playing the piano until he was thirteenyearsold.Afreakishand hitherto
undiscovered talent quickly emerged and by the age of sixteen, he was able to playtheBrahmsBbconcerto wellenough to give a public
performance with an amateur orchestra. In 1965 he entered the RoyalCollegeofMusic,where hestudied under concert pianist Malcolm Binns.
During his college years he became part of theswingingLondon"gayset" whichincluded notables pop record producer Kit Lambert , pianist and
teacher, Peter Feuchtwanger,Deccaclassicalmusicproducer Peter Wadland and composers Michael Tippett, Richard Rodney Bennett and Hans
Werner Henze.
However, life as a concert pianist was not to be. In 1969, an opportunity to work with Norman Smith at AbbeyRdwhoatthetime was producing
both Pink Floyd and Barclay James Harvest, the band with whom Godfrey would workforthenextthreeyears. His work with Barclay James
Harvest made him one of the founding fathers of progressive rockmusicgenreandset thescene for his future life. In 1974, together with friends
he founded the progressive art rock band, TheEnidandhasremainedat the centre of the bands activities for nearly forty years.
As in the case of any dedicated composer, it is impossible to separate the musical talent from thegreaterperson.Theimagesand ideas contained
in his music are not directly inspired by the compositions of others but ratherfromhisinterests inthedeeper issues of our existence and our
place in the cosmos. His life has been one long quest totryandunderstandthesethings.
Now he has recently embarked upon a solo career and is to release an album of his romantic piano music later this year. « hide |
Similar Bands: The Enid, King Crimson, Renaissance, Barclay James Harvest, Little Shiners Contributors: Frippertronics,
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