Genesis — Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey

Genesis formed at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, in 1967, when Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Anthony Phillips, and Chris Stewart — all pupils at the prestigious public school — began writing and recording songs together. Their early demo tape was sent to Jonathan King, a Charterhouse old boy who had already had a pop hit, and he signed them and named them Genesis. The band's origins at one of England's most exclusive schools gave them a particular kind of ambition and a classical music literacy that fed directly into their elaborate progressive rock compositions.

Genesis's early albums — Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound — were landmarks of British progressive rock, driven by Peter Gabriel's theatrical concept and costume work and the band's technical sophistication. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) was their most ambitious statement, a double album concept piece that also marked Gabriel's last recording with the group. Phil Collins stepped up as vocalist, and the band's subsequent move toward pop — and Collins's parallel solo career — made them one of the best-selling acts of the 1980s.

Charterhouse School is still an active and prestigious independent school in Godalming, Surrey. It is not generally open to public visitors. Godalming is a pleasant market town in the Surrey Hills, accessible by train from London Waterloo. The school's music facilities, which gave early Genesis their rehearsal space, remain central to its educational programme.