He was still a teenager when he was introduced to the composer Delius, who lived in France. They became good friends and Philip made piano arrangements of some of Delius’s music. Later he wrote a book about Delius. He studied in Germany for a time, and then at Oxford where he studied classics. He learned about music by teaching himself. He did not fight in World War I. He was a conscientious objector, but also, his health was not good enough for him to be in the army.