Mark Goddard was born in 1960, and went to school in Oxford, before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he received nine awards for Composition including the coveted “Eric Coates Prize”, the “Leverhulme Scholarship for Composers”, a grant to travel abroad given by the “Countess of Munster Musical Trust” and the “Capital Radio Prize”. During his time at the RAM Mark gained the GRSM(hons) music degree and the LRAM diploma in piano.
After the Academy, he married another RAM student: the bassoonist Pat Goddard and worked in Oxford for ten years; composing, arranging and conducting orchestras and choirs. Since then his music has been widely performed, recorded, published and broadcast both at home and abroad.
In 1989, Mark and Pat founded Spartan Press which became a limited company in 1990. Ten years later, the business relocated to the Scottish Highlands along with burgeoning family and various giant dogs!
In 2015 he was awarded the honour of “Associate of the Royal Academy of Music” (ARAM) for services rendered to the music profession.
In 2018, Mark and Pat sold Spartan Press to allow more time to compose and in 2022 they relocated to the vibrant city of Bristol.
In March 2023, Mark and Pat founded Clifton Edition Limited, with a view to republishing many of the works left stranded by the unfortunate demise of Spartan Press. See CliftonEdition.com