PAUL CORFIELD GODFREY was born in London and after a period of residence in Ireland now lives in Wales, studying composition and conducting at various times with Alan Bush and David Wynne. His compositions include four symphonies: various orchestral, chamber and instrumental works: songs and choral works: operas, including The Dialogues of Óisin and Saint Patric and Arcturus, both performed in Cardiff and elsewhere: and a cycle of epic scenes based on J R R Tolkien’s posthumous novel The Silmarillion, the largest work written in Wales in the twentieth century, excerpts from which have been publicly performed in Oxford and which has been recorded and released by Prima Facie Records in association with Volante Opera in a set of ten CDs. Akallabêth, the first CD entirely devoted to his music, was released in 2017 to international acclaim, Chris Seeman on the Tolkien Music website stating that “in the annals of Tolkien-inspired music, Paul Corfield Godfrey is the proverbial oliphaunt in the closet.” Reviewing the recording of Beren and Lúthien, the same writer remarked that the music constituted “hands-down the most potent actualization of Tolkien’s writing I have heard to date.” Comments from other quarters have been equally enthusiastic; in Fanfare, Marc Medwin described Fëanor as “an operatic recording whose singers and the music they perform are completely in tune with the nature of the story and its themes.” Other operas have also now been recorded, including The Nightingale and the Rose after the fable by Oscar Wilde, and Blithe Spirit after Noel Coward (to be released in autumn 2023). Many other works have been performed in London and elsewhere throughout the UK, Hungary, America, Australia and New Zealand, and videos of many of these are available on YouTube. His manuscript scores are lodged at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has appeared as a performer both on radio and television, and also reviews live performances and recordings for MusicWeb International. 

Principal works and recordings

THE SILMARILLION, epic scenes after the mythology of J R R Tolkien   PFCN 001

Fëanor, Op.46   PFCD 178/9

Beren and Lúthien, Op.47   PFCD 110/1

The Children of Húrin, Op.48   PFCD 126/7

The Fall of Gondolin, Op.49   PFCD 092/3

The War of Wrath, Op.71    PFCD 208/9

OTHER OPERAS

Diarmuid and Gráinne, Op.7 [Michéal Mac Liammóir]

The Dialogues of Óisin and Saint Patric, Op.16 [Leon Wiltshire]

The Nightingale and the Rose, Op.21 [Oscar Wilde]   PFCD 197

The Children of Lyr, Op.28 [composer]

Arcturus, Op.41 [David Lindsay]

I am nothing, Op.64 [Eric Frank Russell]

Blithe Spirit, Op.72 [Noel Coward]   PFCD [forthcoming]

Saint Joan, Op.77 [George Bernard Shaw]

SYMPHONIES AND ORCHESTRAL WORKS

Symphony No 1, Op.15   The Mists of Time

Symphony No 2, Op.20   The Great Dance

Symphony No 3, Op.36   Ainulindalë

Symphony No 4, Op.65  The Four Elements

The Eye of Ilúvatar, Op.36a

Akallabêth, Op.42a

Daeron, Op.45b

The Horns of Ulmo, Op.49c

The Water is Wide, Op.58

Territory, Op.61

The Golden Wood, Op.73a

SONG CYCLES

Seven Tolkien Songs, Op.7    PFCD 059

Three Songs of Faith, Op.24 [John Bunyan]*

Three Songs of Twilight, Op.26 [Ausonius]*

Three Epigrams, Op.38*

Mysteries of Time, Op.44*    PFCD 059

Sundials, Op.57 [Hilaire Belloc]

Song of the Road, Op.67 [Walt Whitman]*

Hymns in three parts, Op.75

OTHER VOCAL WORKS

Three Early Songs, Op.3*

The Deserted Village, Op.23 [Oliver Goldsmith]*

The Arrogance of Youth, Op.29 [Liam Blake]*

Passacaglia On the seashore of endless worlds, Op.31 [Rabindranath Tagore]*

Shadow-Bride, Op.33 [J R R Tolkien]*    PFCD 059

Planctus, Op.34 [Abelard]*

Counterpoint, Op.35 [Walt Whitman]*

Two Songs of Protest, Op.52*

Two Chamber Songs, Op.54*

The Lay of Eärendil [J R R Tolkien], Op.60

Four Traditional Songs, Op.76

De Profundis [Oscar Wilde], Op.78

CHORAL WORKS

Nativity Mass, Op.1

Whispers of Heavenly Death, Op.12 [Walt Whitman]

Folksong arrangements, Op.17*

Two Partsongs for male choir, Op.18*

Three Partsongs for mixed choir, Op.22 [William Butler Yeats]

Two Pagan Choruses, Op.30*   PFCD 197

Hymnus Mysticus, Op.37 [Alastair Crowley]    PFCD 197

Tair Cam Gwmreig, Op.50

Six Pagan Chants, Op.62

Hymn of Saint Cecilia, Op.66 [Geoffrey Chaucer]*

The Charge of the Goddess, Op.70*

Cuchulain comforted, Op.74 [William Butler Yeats]

CHAMBER MUSIC

Four Winds, Op.4

Saxophone Sonata, Op.27

Flute Sonata, Op.32

Three Romances, Op.40

Daeron, Op.45    PFCD 059

Willow Pattern, Op.53*

Lullaby, Op.63

Trafodeaeth, Op.69

INSTRUMENTAL

Variations on a Welsh bardic melody, Op.19

Akallabêth, Op.42   PFCD 059

Eight Studies, Op.43

Website: HOME | The Music of Paul Corfield Godfrey

*these works are included in video performances on the website