CLIVE
ROMNEY (MUSICAL DIRECTOR, PERCUSSION, FRETTED INSTRUMENTS, ACCORDION)
"Music fills a hole in my soul. It heals me in so many ways. It
comforts and soothes me and lifts my self-worth as others appreciate
the work I do." There are many who feel that Clive's music heals
many other souls beyond his own.
Clive Romney's progenitors gave him a great gift * the gift of music.
His musical roots run deep. Miles Romney, born in England, emigrated
to the United States in the 1800s aboard a ship bound to join the Saints
in the west. He had a beautiful voice and on the ship he, "gave
out a hymn," or lead the hymns and musical worship for the Saints
on the seas. Clive's own father had a great voice and was a good clarinetist.
Clive's mother was a composer, pianist, teacher and multi-instrumentalist,
and her father, Joseph Clive, was the Director of Bands at the University
of Utah and a cellist with the Utah Symphony. William C. Clive, Clive's
great-grandfather, was one of the first composers in the Salt Lake Valley
and a fine violinist. His father, Clive's great-great-grandfather, Claude
Clive, was a tailor by trade and an amateur musician who composed and
played the violin in his spare time.
So it's no surprise that Clive himself plays over 40 instruments and
owns Pitchfork Studios, is a record producer, and owns Romney Musical
Services. He has no favorite instrument but loves all instruments for
their different capabilities and modes of expression. Clive's great
frustration is having to spread himself so thinly across so many instruments.
Clive loves all types of music, from Classical to Folk, Gregorian Chants
to polytonal and polyrhythmic, Rock and Roll to Jazz, and was heavily
influenced by the Beatles when he was young. He fell in love with late
'50s music, and then on to Connie Francis and Paul Anka, Peter Paul
& Mary, the Kingston Trio. Clive played drums in his school jazz
bands, but picked up guitar and was drawn into folk music.
Except for a two-year period of denial, Clive has always been a musician.
Four years ago he formed Enoch Train, a group of eight master musicians
playing over 100 instruments and exploring the roots and branches of
the world's Folk Hymn heritage. "At first it was a mystery to me
why I kept doing it," says Clive. " It was so much work. But
we've found that people appreciate our explorations of these melodies
that are entwined with their faith."
Many of the melodies Enoch Train plays were first secular, but then
became sacred when inspirational lyrics were put to the tunes. "We
feel a tremendous amount of gratitude," says Clive, "to those
who created these melodies that continue to lift our spirits. And we're
grateful that God allows us to do what we do."
Clive's family is tolerant of his "musical affliction". His
wife, Bonnie, stole his heart as a Brigham Young University Folk Dancer.
"She was the best flirt on stage I had ever seen!" Clive admits.
This November they will have been married thirty-one years. Together,
Bonnie and Clive have five children, four of whom are married, and five
grandchildren, "All boys but five" Clive laughs. His children
are Elizabeth, Matt, Eric, John and Daniel. Clive loves to perform,
sing, read, hike, socialize, play sports, dance, and garden. He serves
as bishop of his LDS ward.
