Clifton Parker

Clifton Parker (1905 - 1989) was an English composer, particularly noted for his film scores. Edward John Clifton Parker was born on 5 February 1905 in London, 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 an... more

Clifton Parker (1905 - 1989) was an English composer, particularly noted for his film scores. Edward John Clifton Parker was born on 5 February 1905 in London, 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. Clifton Parker obtained an ARCM diploma in piano teaching at the Royal Academy of Music in 1926. He 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... less