Royden Barrie

{{short description|Songwriter}}

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Rodney Bennett (1890-1948) was a playwright, children's author, and lyricist, who also wrote under the name Royden Barrie. He was the father of the poet M. R. Peacocke and the composer Richard Rodney Bennett.{{cite web |title=Bennett, Richard Rodney in All Contents {{!}} The Library |url=https://library.berklee.edu/browse/indexed-people/bennett-richard-rodney |website=library.berklee.edu |publisher=Berklee }}

Bennett was educated at Reading University College, where he edited the college magazine Tamesis. He then became a teacher in London, while studying singing.{{cite news|title=Mr. Rodney Bennett|date=16 April 1948|work=The Reading Standard|page=3}}

He left teaching to take up singing, speech training, and musical journalism. He wrote several books, including Lets Do a Play, about acting, and The London Dramatic Books, a series of plays for children.

As Royden Barrie he wrote lyrics for songs by Eric Coates, Hayden Wood, Roger Quilter, Martin Shaw, and others.{{cite book|author=Valerie Langfield|title=Roger Quilter and his Music|publisher=Boydell Press|location=Woodbridge, Suffolk, England|year=2003|isbn= 978-0851158716}}

He died at home in Budleigh Salterton on 14 April 1948.