- John Metcalfe
John Metcalfe (born 6 August 1964, Wellington,
New Zealand ) is a British-basedcomposer and violist, and a former member of the bandthe Durutti Column .Biography
John Metcalfe’s unique style is a result of his extensive experience in classical, pop and electronica. Early musical influences include opera (his father is a singer), the post-punk group Joy Division, and the avant-garde electronic band
Kraftwerk . As a violist he co-founded the Duke Quartet which quickly developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting ensembles. John’s string arrangements played by the Dukes feature on many albums by pop artists includingMorrissey ,Simple Minds ,The Pretenders ,Catatonia and Blur. The commercial success of John’s first two albums of original music has led directly to several new commissions for TV and the concert hall. Publisher Chester Music Limited.He started playing the viola at age 10, upon moving to the UK from New Zealand. In his first band, he played the drums. Later, he joined
Vini Reilly in the Durutti Column. During this period, he also studied music at the Royal Northern College.Metcalfe was instrumental in the formation of the record label Factory Classical, an offshoot of
Tony Wilson 'sFactory Records . He also wrote string arrangements for various popular artists, includingMorrissey ,Simple Minds andThe Pretenders . He released an album of his own, "The Inner Line", to positive reviews. In 2004, another album, "Scorching Bay", was released.Recent commissions include a set of pieces for the guitarist
Tom Kerstens and a cello concerto forMatthew Barley .In 2005, he recorded with the
Michael Nyman Band and Orchestra.Career highlights
* 1985 - joined cult group Durutti Column on Manchester’s Factory label.
* 1987 - co-foundedDuke Quartet , performs and records worldwide.
* 1992 - began to compose strings for bands including Blur,The Cranberries andThe Pretenders .
* 2004 - "Scorching Bay" album released on Sanctuary Classics.
* 2004 - "First Major Upset of the Tournament" from "Scorching Bay" used in Clarks shoes TV advertising campaign.
* 2005 - wrote title music for BBC programmeMechannibals ; performed on the "The Libertine" soundtrack.Key works
* "First Major Upset of the Tournament" (2004;ensemble)
* "8" (2004; ensemble)
* "Fabrine" (2004; ensemble)
* "Music for Trains" (2004; ensemble)
* "Seven Days Later" (2004; ensemble)
* "Cuba Street" (2004; ensemble)External links
* [http://john-metcalfe.co.uk/ Official Website]
* [http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=1046 John Metcalfe's homepage at Chester Music]
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