Alfreda Benge

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Alfreda Benge (born 1940) is an Austrian-born British lyricist and illustrator. She was born in Austria to a Polish mother, and came to the UK in 1947. [1] Her stepfather, Ronald Benge, was a prominent librarian who established library schools in developing countries. She has been married to musician Robert Wyatt since 1974. [2] She has contributed lyrics to many of his compositions, and her voice is featured on the 1974 album Rock Bottom . [3] She has also written lyrics for French musician/producer Bertrand Burgalat, and for Brazilian singer Monica Vasconcelos.[ citation needed ]

Benge studied painting at Camberwell Art School, graphics at the London School of Printing and film at the RCA. She then worked in film, and served as an assistant to the editor Graeme Clifford for Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now (1973). She has provided cover artwork for all the solo albums by Robert Wyatt since 1974, as well as for albums by other musicians including Gravity by Fred Frith, Alice by Klimperei and Spanish Dance Troupe by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. She has illustrated two children's books written by Ivor Cutler.

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References

  1. Morris, Steven (9 September 2004). "Guardian story inspires lyrics for war lullaby". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 23 June 2008.
  2. Andy Gregory International Who's Who in Popular Music, Routledge, 2002, ISBN   1-85743-161-8
  3. George McKay (2013). Shakin' All Over: Popular Music and Disability. University of Michigan Press. p. 102. ISBN   9780472052097.