Editing Karl Jenkins (section)

==Life and career==
===Early life and education===
Jenkins was born and raised in [[Penclawdd]], [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]], [[Wales]] (now part of [[Swansea]]). His mother was half-Swedish, and his father was Welsh. He received his initial musical instruction from his father, who was the local schoolteacher, chapel organist and choirmaster.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-15 |title=Karl Jenkins on writing music for adverts, royals and global conflicts |url=https://www.classical-music.com/features/composers/karl-jenkins |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Classical Music |language=en}}</ref>

His maternal grandfather was a Swedish sailor who settled in Wales after meeting his future wife at a local market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Jane |date=2024-08-04 |title=Karl Jenkins: 'I'm still not respected in some quarters of classical music' |url=https://www.bigissue.com/culture/music/karl-jenkins-classical-music-life-family-soft-machine/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Big Issue |language=en-US}}</ref> Between the ages of two and five, Jenkins lived in [[Gävle]], Sweden, and continued to visit in subsequent years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radio |first=Sveriges |date=2014-04-24 |title=Stjärnkompositören Jenkins tillbaka i Gävle – efter 45 år - P4 Gävleborg |url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/5845330 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=www.sverigesradio.se |language=sv}}</ref>

Jenkins attended [[Gowerton Grammar School]],<ref name="CardUniKJ">{{cite web |title=Alumni: Karl Jenkins |url=http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/music/alumni/profiles/karljenkins.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222162627/http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/music/alumni/profiles/karljenkins.html |archive-date=22 February 2015 |access-date=22 February 2015 |publisher=Cardiff University School of Music}}</ref> studied music at Cardiff University, and then commenced postgraduate studies in London at the Royal Academy of Music.<ref>{{cite web |title=Karl Jenkins: Biography |url=http://www.karljenkins.com/biog |access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref>

===Early career: Graham Collier's group and Nucleus===
For the bulk of his early career, Jenkins was known as a [[jazz]] and [[jazz-rock]] musician, playing [[baritone saxophone|baritone]] and [[soprano saxophone]]s, keyboards and oboe, an unusual instrument in a jazz context. He joined jazz composer [[Graham Collier]]'s group and later co-founded the jazz-rock group [[Nucleus (band)|Nucleus]], which won first prize at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in 1970. In 1971, Jenkins collaborated with [[Linda Hoyle]] on her album [[Pieces of Me (Linda Hoyle album)|''Pieces of Me'']], co-writing 8 of the 11 tracks, playing piano and oboe, as well as arranging and conducting the orchestra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Karl Jenkins {{!}} Credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/karl-jenkins-mn0000131898/credits |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

===Soft Machine===
In 1972, Jenkins joined the [[Canterbury scene|Canterbury]] jazz fusion rock band [[Soft Machine]], playing saxophone, oboe and flute along with keyboard instruments. The group played venues including [[The Proms]], [[Carnegie Hall]], and the [[Newport Jazz Festival]]. The album ''[[Six (Soft Machine album)|Six]]'', on which Jenkins first played with Soft Machine, won the ''[[Melody Maker]]'' British Jazz Album of the Year award in 1973. Jenkins also won the miscellaneous musical instrument section (as he did the following year). Soft Machine was voted best small group in the Melody Maker jazz poll of 1974. The albums in which Jenkins performed and composed were ''[[Six (Soft Machine album)|Six]]'' (1973), ''[[Seven (Soft Machine album)|Seven]]'' (1973), ''[[Bundles (album)|Bundles]]'' (1975), ''[[Softs (album)|Softs]]'' (1976), ''[[Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris]]'' (1978) and ''[[Land of Cockayne (album)|Land of Cockayne]]'' (1981). Jenkins was the group's primary composer on ''Seven'' and the subsequent four albums.

After [[Mike Ratledge]] left the band in 1976, Soft Machine did not include any of its founding members, but kept recording on a project basis with line-ups revolving around Jenkins and drummer [[John Marshall (drummer)|John Marshall]]. Although ''Melody Maker'' had positively reviewed the Soft Machine of 1973 and 1974, [[Hugh Hopper]], involved with the group since replacing bassist [[Kevin Ayers]] in 1968, cited Jenkins' "third rate" musical involvement in his own decision to leave the band,<ref>''Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous'', Graham Bennett, 2008 ({{ISBN|0-946719-84-5}}) p. 246.</ref> and the band of the late 1970s has been described by band member [[John Etheridge]] as wasting its potential.<ref>''Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous'', Graham Bennett, 2008 ({{ISBN|0-946719-84-5}}) p. 324.</ref>

=== Other works===
{{stack|[[File:St David Awards Finalist 2015 - Dr Karl Jenkins CBE.webm|thumb|Karl Jenkins at the [[Welsh Government]]'s [[St David Awards]] (2015)]]}}
In November 1973, Jenkins and Ratledge participated in a live-in-the-studio performance of [[Mike Oldfield]]'s ''[[Tubular Bells]]'' for the BBC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/global/uk-tv/second-house-tubular-bells-mike-oldfield/ |title=Second House: Tubular Bells |author=Mike Oldfield |work=Memorable TV |access-date=24 April 2011 |archive-date=16 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716201335/http://www.memorabletv.com/uk-tv/second-house-tubular-bells-mike-oldfield/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is available on Oldfield's ''[[Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield (video)|Elements]]'' DVD.