George Conrad Leonard (10 October 1898 – 19 April 2003) was a
British composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
pianist. He was born in
South Norwood.
Leonard served in the
Middlesex Regiment during the
First World War; he left the army in 1919 with the rank of
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
. Leonard then studied music at the
Guildhall School of Music
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...
, and he subsequently toured the country as a professional musician. From the 1930s, he performed with stars such as
Fred Astaire,
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
and
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...
. He composed over 400 ballads; the most famous being "My Love is Only For You" (1946) and "I Heard a Robin Singing" (1948).
During the
Second World War, Leonard joined Laurence Wright, a music publishing firm, as an
arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
– a position he held until 1969.
He continued to be an active musician into his old age. When he was 99 years old, his doctor advised him to "ease up a bit", and he accordingly cut his engagements to 75 per year.
Until the age of 103 years, he played the piano every Thursday at lunchtime in the Plantation Cafe at Squire's Garden Centre in
Twickenham.
In 1999, Leonard was given the Golden Badge Awards by the
British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Conard
1898 births
2003 deaths
English composers
English songwriters
English pianists
Middlesex Regiment officers
British Army personnel of World War I
English centenarians
Men centenarians
People educated at Whitgift School
People from South Norwood