News

December 2012

Commissioned to compose score for RUTH MUSICAL - London, 1955. Ruth Ellis, a 28-year-old mother of two, is about to be hanged for the murder of her lover, racing driver David Blakely. Despite a wave of protest the execution goes ahead within three months of the crime, earning the blonde nightclub hostess a place in history as the last woman to be hanged in England.

August 2012

Song writing collaboration for HRH Princess Royal's Carers Trust with Barry Mason - multi-platinum song writer of 60 million records worldwide including Delilah and The Last Waltz alongside songs for Barabara Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart.

December 2011

Produce and perform at fundrasing evening for the Princess Royal Trust For Carers. HRH The Princess Royal attends and hosted by the Earl and Countess of Bathurst at Cirencester House.

August 2011

Music production and direction of fourth FLY TO THE PAST show at Oxford Airport to a sell out 10,000 gate.

May 2011

Produce and perform ROCKLIFF JAM concert at Farbridge Theatre Chichester to capacity audience.

April 2011

Souls & Shadows concert at North Wall Theatre, Oxford in aid of Sobell House Hospice secures national TV coverage.

February 2011

Perfomance on piano and vocal at Sobell House Hospice Christmas concert hosted by Rory Bremnar followed by sell out concert at North Wall Theatre Oxford.

April 2008

Music Production of Old Vic Theatre's benefit concert for Kevin Spacey with Annie Lennox, Yusuf Islam, Rowan Atkinson and Jeff Goldblum.

January 2008 - 2009

Associate Producer to Yusuf Islam's (formerly Cat Stevens) forthcoming West End musical, MOONSHADOW with responsibilty for taking it from concept to production across Europe and the US.

November 2007

Invitation from Guy Fletcher OBE, Chairman of the Performing Rights Society, to join the board of his company Commercial Arts as its Productions Director.

February 2007

Oxford University college, St Edmund Hall, commission concept origination & production of its ROCK TO THE PAST 1950s ball with extensive soundscapes.

September 2006

Royal Air Force commission a 1940s living history stage performance of the living history production of TYPHOON TO TYPHOON for 150 Members of Parliament & Armed Services Chiefs of Staff at Imperial War Museum, London.

April 2006

SORRY YOU MISSED THE SIXTIES living history exhibition of Philip Townsend photographic archive produced across Europe. Red Bull commission audio visual consultancy to advise on its Air Race World Series in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

2003 / 2005 / 2007

Concept origination & production of Virgin Atlantic's FLY TO THE PAST history of flight festival with co-producers Sir George Martin, Harvey Goldsmith and the Marquis of Blandford at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

12 June 2017

Carers Song composition, COULD YOU BE MY FRIEND, selected for BBC Radio 2 Clare Balding Show at start of National Carers Week. Former Sir Terry Wogan's radio Producer, David Manero, wrote to say:

" Francis this song is lovely and right for R2 Spot Plays."

11 May 2016

Sir George Martin Family & Friends Memorial Service

St Martin In The Fields, London

As a Liverpudlian teenager I never imagined that one day I would be singing, laughing and crying side by side with the Martin, McCartney, Harrison, Star and Lennon families as we all said goodbye to our much loved friend George. As I queued with Elton to leave he turned to me and his friends from Pink Floyd and Dire Straights: 'We were with George again today.', I slipped away alone in agony and ecstasy as the dark skies' gently wept. Forgive the blue prose but that day I lived the 'Blues'.

19 April 2016

Recording of Carers Song by the Olswang Company Choir ahead of its release during National Carers Week in June.

11 April 2016

Accompany Lady George Martin to a Carers Trust repception hosted by HRH The Princess Royal at the Speakers House in the House of Commons.

December 2015

Charity performance with Ric Sanders at Christ Church College Cathedral, Oxford for Maggie's Centres.

August 2015

Carers Trust to launch Music For Carers enterprise dedicated to music fundraising activities. Dean Anderson, Director of Fundraising at the Carers Trust and former Head of Fundraising at Amnesty International to head MFC with Creative Direction by the Carers Trust's Oxfordshire Ambassador, Francis Rockliff.

July 2015

Radio JAZZ FM give air play to a live recording of my Lucy Jones song with Ric Sanders of Fairport Convention on fiddle and me on the Joanna.

November 2014

Lovely evening at the Peace Train Tour first concert at Hammersmith followed by a warm back stage welcome from Yusuf. The following week saw a sell out concert of the WHO CARES concert at Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford.

August 2014

Direction and production of British Bangladeshi Annual Song Contest at Heythrop Park Oxfordshire.

July 2014

Princess Royal attends premier performance of my song COULD YOU BE MY FRIEND written to raise funds for her charity the Carers Trust.

November 2013

Score and recordings for RUTH MUSICAL delivered to West End producers ahead of London preview.

December 2012

2011 to 2016