John Harle(born 20 September 1956) is anEnglishsaxophonist, composer, educator and record producer.[1]He is anIvor Novello Awardwinner and has been the recipient of twoRoyal Television Societyawards.
John Harle | |
|---|---|
 Harle in 2001 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 20 September 1956 |
| Origin | Newcastle upon Tyne,England |
| Genres | Hybrid, Pop, Classical |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Universal,EMI Classics,Decca,Argo,Unicorn-Kanchana,Hannibal,Sospiro |
| Website | www |
Biography
editHarle was born inNewcastle upon Tyne.Following his education at theRoyal College of Music in Londonand, as a French Government Music Scholar, in Paris with Daniel Deffayet, he won the Amcon Award of The American Concert Artists Guild. In his early years, he was a member of the band of composerMichael Nymanand orchestrator for film composerStanley Myers,expanding from that into scoring for film and television. In the 1990s, he began a career as saxophonist and composer, both artistically and commercially.
Harle composed the theme tune and music for the BBC TV seriesSilent Witness.[2]In May 1998, Harle was the castaway onBBC Radio 4's long-runningDesert Island Discsprogramme, with the BBC describing him as "the most-recorded saxophonist in the world".[3]
Harle served as artistic advisor toPaul McCartneyfor six years, and has collaborated withElvis Costello,Herbie HancockandElmer Bernstein.[citation needed]
In addition to his own prolific recording, Harle has contributed directly or indirectly to a number of charting songs and albums by others.[4]A jingle he wrote forNissanin 1993 became the basis of a charting pop single byJazzie B.[clarification needed]His albumTerror and Magnificence(1996) featuredElvis Costello,Sarah LeonardandAndy Sheppard.He contributed to the charting albumStanding Stone(1997) by Paul McCartney.[citation needed]
Harle has also been an educator, serving at theGuildhall School of Music and Dramain London in the late 1980s as a professor of Saxophone and Chamber Music.[4]He is currently Professor of Saxophone at the Guildhall School.[5]
In 2012, theRoyal Television Societyawarded Harle its "Music: Original Score" award for his composition for BBC 2's programmeLucian Freud:Painted Life,describing it as "An excellent, challenging and original score that perfectly complements Freud's powerful imagery".[6]It also won the 2013British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors(BASCA)Ivor Novello Awardfor "Best Television Soundtrack".[7]
In October 2013, onBBC Radio 3'sIn Tuneprogramme, Harle talked about his recently released albumArt Music,the composition of which was inspired by his favourite paintings.[8]
Harle appeared withMarc AlmondonBBC Radio 4'sFront Rowin February 2014 to discuss their collaborative work about Gothic London,The Tyburn Tree (Dark London).[9]Harle was a guest on the same programme in November of that year, to mark thebicentenaryof the birth ofAdolphe Saxby assessing the contribution of Sax's invention, the saxophone.[10]
Harle has written a reference book,The Saxophone: The Art and Science of Playing and Performing,published in May 2017.[11]
Personal life
editHarle has two sons: writer and curator Matthew Harle, andMad Decentcomposer and producerDanny L Harle.[1]
References
edit- ^abGilbert, Jenny (2 March 1996)."Fantastic read".The Independent.Retrieved27 March2015.
- ^"John Harle & Marc Almond".Barbican.Archived fromthe originalon 21 August 2016.Retrieved16 October2022.
- ^"Desert Island Discs: John Harle".BBC Online.Retrieved12 January2016.
- ^abLewis, Uncle Dave."Artist Biography".Allmusic.Retrieved3 May2015.
- ^"Professor John Harle FGSM ARCM (Hons) | Guildhall School of Music & Drama".
- ^"RTS Announces Winners For Craft & Design Awards 2011/2012".Royal Television Society.27 November 2012.Retrieved12 January2016.
- ^"2013 Winners".The Ivors.Archived fromthe originalon 28 June 2016.Retrieved13 January2016.
- ^"Matthew Barley, Brook Street Band, John Harle".BBC Online.Retrieved12 January2016.
- ^"Marc Almond and John Harle; Willy Russell on Liverpool's Everyman Theatre; Gary Shteyngart".BBC Online.Retrieved12 January2016.
- ^"Interstellar, Nick Hornby, John Harle, Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes".BBC Online.Retrieved12 January2016.
- ^Harle, John (1 May 2017).The Saxophone: The Art and Science of Playing and Performing.Faber and Faber.ISBN978-0571539628.