Francis Monkman (born 9 June 1949, in Hampstead,North
London, England)
is a successful English
rock,
classical
and film
score composer,
whose work includes the soundtrack to the British
film, The
Long Good Friday.
He was a student at Westminster School where he
studied organ and harpsichord,
later studying at the Royal College of Music,
winning the Raymond Rusel prize for virtuosity on the harpsichord and
becoming a member of the Academy of St.
Martin in the Fields. In the late 1960s he founded the groundbreaking rock band Curved
Air, and in 1977 collaborated with Brian Eno in the project 801.
In the 1980s
he resumed classical performances and recordings, but
together with guitarist
and composer John Williams
also worked to form the rock band called Sky.