Patrick Morris
Encyclopedia
Patrick John Morris, was a British composer
, musician
, and songwriter.
He was educated at Highgate School
, Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music
, and University College London
, where he obtained a degree in philosophy.
Disillusioned with contemporary classical music in the style of Stockhausen
and Boulez
, he developed a style that one critic has called “residual
”, a label he accepted. He described his main musical influences as Erik Satie
and Brian Eno
, whom he rated as the most important composers of the twentieth century.
He placed his works into three groups, piano music, instrumental pieces and songs. For the songs he set poems to music and sang them, verses by A. E. Housman, W. E. Henley
, Walter de la Mare
and other well known poets, and particularly the Australian born poet Vicki Raymond. From about 1990 he wrote and sang his own songs, mysterious poems evoking an atmosphere of mortality, lonely, marginalised characters, and wistful melancholy.
For the past few years he gave regular concerts in the beautiful setting of St Michael’s Church, Highgate. As well as the UK, where his music has been played on Radio 3, he performed in Germany, the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
.
He produced a number of cds, including:
He also wrote the soundtrack for a number of arthouse films, including the documentary LuXus, about abstract expressionist Philip Diggle
. For the last few years of his life he returned to the house in Highgate where he had spent his childhood and where he was found dead on January 16, 2008.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and songwriter.
He was educated at Highgate School
Highgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
, Guildhall School of Music, 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...
, and University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he obtained a degree in philosophy.
Disillusioned with contemporary classical music in the style of Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
and Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, he developed a style that one critic has called “residual
Residual
A residual is generally a quantity left over at the end of a process. It may refer to:* Residual , in business, one of an ongoing stream of payments for the completion of past achievements...
”, a label he accepted. He described his main musical influences as Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, whom he rated as the most important composers of the twentieth century.
He placed his works into three groups, piano music, instrumental pieces and songs. For the songs he set poems to music and sang them, verses by A. E. Housman, W. E. Henley
William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus".-Life and career:...
, Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare , OM CH was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and the poem "The Listeners"....
and other well known poets, and particularly the Australian born poet Vicki Raymond. From about 1990 he wrote and sang his own songs, mysterious poems evoking an atmosphere of mortality, lonely, marginalised characters, and wistful melancholy.
For the past few years he gave regular concerts in the beautiful setting of St Michael’s Church, Highgate. As well as the UK, where his music has been played on Radio 3, he performed in Germany, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
He produced a number of cds, including:
He also wrote the soundtrack for a number of arthouse films, including the documentary LuXus, about abstract expressionist Philip Diggle
Philip Diggle
Philip Diggle is an English painter.Philip Diggle has a reputation as one of the most prominent British abstract artists. His paintings can be found at the Rockefeller Centre, the Chase Manhattan Bank of New York and adorn the homes of many private collectors...
. For the last few years of his life he returned to the house in Highgate where he had spent his childhood and where he was found dead on January 16, 2008.