Clifton Parker
Encyclopedia
Clifton Parker was an English
composer, particularly noted for his film scores. During his career, he composed scores for over 50 feature films, as well as numerous documentary shorts, radio and television scores, over 100 songs and music for ballet and theatre.
, the youngest son of bank manager. He was encouraged by his father to go into commerce, but studied music privately and composed his first published work Romance for violin and piano when aged sixteen. In 1924, he decided to divide his names; to use 'Edward John' for lighter compositions and 'Clifton Parker' for more serious compositions. However, he never used the former. He obtained an ARCM diploma in piano teaching at the Royal Academy of Music
in 1926 and abandoned his career in commerce and became a music copyist.
By the mid-1930s he was achieving success with some of his classical pieces and managed to get his work accepted for broadcast on the BBC
, such as In a Twilight Dim with Rose. He came to the attention of Muir Mathieson
, one of the music pioneers of the British film industry. His early film compositions were uncredited, including the 1942 Noel Coward
film In Which We Serve
and it was only with his 1944 score for Western Approaches
that his name finally attracted attention.
The 1950s were a prolific period, with Parker composing for many mediums, especially film. However, in 1963, he was one of three composers, the others being William Alwyn
and Franz Reizenstein
, who abandoned scoring film music in protest at the exorbitant percentage of royalties taken by the publishers.
Parker was married twice. His second wife Yoma Sasburg was principal dancer in a number of his ballet productions. He was the father of Julia Clifton Parker, better known as writer Julia Stoneham. He was inactive for the final 13 years of his life owing to ulcers and emphysema
, and died on 2 September 1989 aged 84.
and have been released on a Chandos Records CD, performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Notable scores include:
Parker also composed for documentaries, including four British Transport Films
; Elizabethan Express
(1954), Long Night Haul (1956), Blue Pullman
(1960) and Ocean Terminal (1952/1961). His work as war documentary composer was honoured at the Imperial War Museum
in 2003 with special screenings of Battle Is Our Business (1942), Towards the Offensive (1944) and Western Approaches
(1943). He also scored the incidental music to an episode of the acclaimed BBC Documentary War in the Air (1954).
Parker wrote prolifically for the stage, notably for the Old Vic
theatre, R.A.D.A
. and the Hampstead Theatre Club
. His scores include incidental music
for a dramatic adaptation of Leo Tolstoy
's War and Peace
; The Glass Slipper, based on Cinderella
and The Silver Curlew based on Rumplestiltskin. He co-wrote 103 songs during his career, mainly for stage revues. He also wrote an opera Pyatigorsk in 1973.
In light music
circles, Parker's overture to the play The Glass Slipper is now well known, although it was many years before it became available on a commercial recording. Much of Parker's concert music is now either lost or neglected, although some pieces are preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Parker also composed a number of choral works, particularly later in his life, including Nocturnes for the King's Singers
and a Missa Brevis
in 1976.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer, particularly noted for his film scores. During his career, he composed scores for over 50 feature films, as well as numerous documentary shorts, radio and television scores, over 100 songs and music for ballet and theatre.
Life
Edward John Clifton Parker was born on 5 February 1905 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the youngest son of bank manager. He was encouraged by his father to go into commerce, but studied music privately and composed his first published work Romance for violin and piano when aged sixteen. In 1924, he decided to divide his names; to use 'Edward John' for lighter compositions and 'Clifton Parker' for more serious compositions. However, he never used the former. He obtained an ARCM diploma in piano teaching at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in 1926 and abandoned his career in commerce and became a music copyist.
By the mid-1930s he was achieving success with some of his classical pieces and managed to get his work accepted for broadcast on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, such as In a Twilight Dim with Rose. He came to the attention of Muir Mathieson
Muir Mathieson
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.-Career:...
, one of the music pioneers of the British film industry. His early film compositions were uncredited, including the 1942 Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
film In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by David Lean and Noël Coward. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information ....
and it was only with his 1944 score for Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
that his name finally attracted attention.
The 1950s were a prolific period, with Parker composing for many mediums, especially film. However, in 1963, he was one of three composers, the others being William Alwyn
William Alwyn
William Alwyn, CBE, born William Alwyn Smith was an English composer, conductor, and music teacher.-Life and music:...
and Franz Reizenstein
Franz Reizenstein
Franz Theodor Reizenstein was a German-born British composer and concert pianist. He left Germany for sanctuary in Britain in 1934 and went on to have his career there, including teaching at the Royal Northern College of Music and Boston University, as well as performing.-Life and work:Franz...
, who abandoned scoring film music in protest at the exorbitant percentage of royalties taken by the publishers.
Parker was married twice. His second wife Yoma Sasburg was principal dancer in a number of his ballet productions. He was the father of Julia Clifton Parker, better known as writer Julia Stoneham. He was inactive for the final 13 years of his life owing to ulcers and emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
, and died on 2 September 1989 aged 84.
Works
Clifton Parker wrote the music for many feature films, and is much admired for his "lively symphonic style". Although most of his scores are missing, presumed destroyed, several have been reconstructed by Philip LanePhilip Lane (composer)
Philip Lane is an English composer and musicologist. He is noted for his light music compositions and arrangements, as well as his painstaking work reconstructing lost film scores.-Biography:...
and have been released on a Chandos Records CD, performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Notable scores include:
- Western ApproachesWestern Approaches (film)Western Approaches is a 1944 documentary war film directed by Pat Jackson.It is the fictional account of 22 sailors marooned in a lifeboat. Much of it was shot in the Irish Sea. Sailors rather than professional actors were used....
(1943) - This Happy BreedThis Happy Breed (film)This Happy Breed is a 1944 British drama film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan and Ronald Neame is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Noël Coward...
(1944) - Johnny FrenchmanJohnny FrenchmanJohnny Frenchman is a 1945 British film produced by Ealing Studios and directed by Charles Frend. The film was produced by Michael Balcon from a screenplay by T.E.B...
(1945) - Blanche FuryBlanche FuryBlanche Fury is a 1948 drama film starring Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger and Michael Gough. It was adapted from a novel by Joseph Shearing. In Victorian era England, two schemers will stop at nothing to acquire the Fury estate, even murder.-Plot:...
(1948) - The Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon (1949 film)The Blue Lagoon is a 1949 British romance and adventure film produced and directed by Frank Launder, starring Jean Simmons and Donald Houston. The screenplay was adapted by John Baines, Michael Hogan and Frank Launder from the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole...
(1949) - Treasure IslandTreasure Island (1950 film)Treasure Island is a 1950 Disney adventure film, adapted from the Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. It starred Bobby Driscoll as Jim Hawkins, and Robert Newton as Long John Silver...
(1950) - The Wooden Horse (1950) - finest scoring of credits
- The Sword and the RoseThe Sword and the RoseThe Sword and the Rose, is a United States family and adventure film, produced by Perce Pearce and Walt Disney and directed by Ken Annakin...
(1952) - Single Handed (1953)
- Night of the DemonNight of the DemonNight of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. An adaptation of the M. R...
(1957) - Sea of SandSea of SandSea of Sand is a 1958 war film produced by Tempean Films starring Michael Craig, John Gregson and Richard Attenborough...
(1958) - The 39 StepsThe 39 Steps (1959 film)The 39 Steps is a 1959 British thriller film directed by Ralph Thomas, starring Kenneth More and Taina Elg. It is a remake of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, based on the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan....
(1959) - Sink the Bismarck!Sink the Bismarck!Sink the Bismarck! is a 1960 black-and-white British war film based on the book, the "Last Nine Days of the Bismarck" by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. To date, it is the only movie made that deals directly with the operations, chase, and...
(1960) - Taste of FearTaste of FearTaste of Fear is a 1961 British thriller film directed by Seth Holt, shot in black-and-white by Douglas Slocombe, and released by Hammer Films...
(1961) - H.M.S. Defiant (U.S. release: Damn the Defiant!) (1962)
- Mystery SubmarineMystery Submarine (1963 film)Mystery Submarine is a 1963 British war film directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards and starring Edward Judd, James Robertson Justice and Laurence Payne...
(1963) - The InformersThe Informers (1963 film)The Informers is a 1963 British crime film produced and distributed in the UK by The Rank Organisation and distributed in the USA by Continental Film Distributors. It was directed by Ken Annakin, produced by William MacQuitty with the screenplay by Paul Durst and Alun Falconer from the novel...
(1963)
Parker also composed for documentaries, including four British Transport Films
British Transport Films
British Transport Films was an organisation set up in 1949 to make documentary films on the general subject of British transport. Its work included internal training films, travelogues , and "industrial films" promoting the progress of Britain's railway...
; Elizabethan Express
Elizabethan Express
Elizabethan Express is a 1954 British Transport Film that follows The Elizabethan, a non-stop British Railways service from London to Edinburgh along the East Coast Main Line...
(1954), Long Night Haul (1956), Blue Pullman
Blue Pullman
Blue Pullman may refer to:* British Rail Classes 251 and 261, a type of diesel-electric multiple unit built by Metro Cammell in 1960** Blue Pullman , a 1960 film about the train of the same name...
(1960) and Ocean Terminal (1952/1961). His work as war documentary composer was honoured at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in 2003 with special screenings of Battle Is Our Business (1942), Towards the Offensive (1944) and Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
(1943). He also scored the incidental music to an episode of the acclaimed BBC Documentary War in the Air (1954).
Parker wrote prolifically for the stage, notably for the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
theatre, R.A.D.A
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. and the Hampstead Theatre Club
Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
. His scores include incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for a dramatic adaptation of Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
; The Glass Slipper, based on Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
and The Silver Curlew based on Rumplestiltskin. He co-wrote 103 songs during his career, mainly for stage revues. He also wrote an opera Pyatigorsk in 1973.
In light music
Light music
Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably it lasts to the present day....
circles, Parker's overture to the play The Glass Slipper is now well known, although it was many years before it became available on a commercial recording. Much of Parker's concert music is now either lost or neglected, although some pieces are preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Parker also composed a number of choral works, particularly later in his life, including Nocturnes for the King's Singers
King's Singers
The King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
and a Missa Brevis
Missa Brevis
Missa brevis literally means "short mass" and can refer to different types of musical setting of the Mass. Modernly, Missa brevis is generally understood as a setting of parts of the ordinary mass...
in 1976.