John Metcalfe Photo: Tom Oldham
Photo: Real World Records
John Metcalfe was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in the UK. He’s a composer, producer and arranger to the likes of Peter Gabriel, Coldplay and Blur and arranges strings and orchestral parts for their songs. He’s also a viola player and is a member of the Duke Quartet.
His latest album is Tree – a journey through 24 hours in the life of one of nature’s most majestic creations, the tree.
John writes, ‘Tree imagines what it would be like to be sat completely still under a tree that you love, being alive to the ever-shifting interplay of light, colour, weather and sound’.
On a trip back to New Zealand in his twenties with his wife, a visit to see Tāne Mahuta (the ancient kauri tree in Northland) had a profound effect.
"When we saw the tree, when Tāne Mahuta came into view... we both cried. We really kind of welled up, it was an extraordinary moment. It's such an extraordinary organism."
"When I was writing the music [for the album] I started thinking about that, and suddenly everything really crystallized and... I thought 'this is what I want this music to be about - this is the core theme'."
John talked with Nick Tipping about his career as a composer and arranger, and how he got into music in the first place. John's father was tenor George Metcalfe, who came to New Zealand in the 1960s and sang with the New Zealand Opera Company in the '60s and '70s.
Nick asked John what advice he'd give to someone who wanted to have the same breadth of career, that he'd had.
"It's a bit of a cliché to say it, but I think that in terms of artistically – stick to your guns," says John.
"There are very few people who don't have to go those hard yards. It's hard and it can be very dispiriting."
"If you can and you're lucky enough, try and keep some part of your musical output that is for you and you alone... Something that nourishes your musical soul, because that's really, really important. Whether you're a player or a composer, to do just one thing that nourishes you and keeps inspiring you."
"And the other thing, from a practical point of view, for people who are just starting out on a career, is yeah, of course be good at what you do and work hard and practise – but turn up on time. And be nice!"
"And the rest of it kind of looks after itself."
Listen to John Metcalfe's arrangement of 'My body is a cage' from the Peter Gabriel album Scratch My Back.
Music in the interviews:
Volans, Kevin: Quartet No 2, Hunting - Gathering (3), excerpt - Duke Quartet (Black Box BBM 1069)
Arcade Fire arr Metcalfe: My Body is a Cage - Peter Gabriel (Real World Records 608507)
Metcalfe, John: Zylem, excerpt - studio ensemble (Real World Records HDRW250)
Metcalfe, John: Tāne Mahuta, excerpt - studio ensemble (Real World Records HDRW250)
Metcalfe, John: Stasis - studio ensemble (Real World Records HDRW250)
