JackBody
- Composer
Jack Body, OMNZ, composed for everything from gamelan orchestras to the Kronos Quartet, and was a leading figure in awakening local interest in Asian and Pacific music. His soundtrack work ranged across children’s tales, te reo dramas and nature films. His collaborations with director Vincent Ward include classic film Vigil, and (with John Gibson), 2008’s Rain of the Children. Body died on 10 May 2015.
Screenography
Biography
Jack Body’s immersion in music involved time in Holland, Germany and his beloved Indonesia, and excursions into choirs, electronic music, and gamelan orchestra. During 30 years lecturing music at Victoria University he keenly promoted music from the Asia-Pacific, establishing a residency for overseas musicians to work with staff and students. Body’s long musical journey also included a variety of compositions for the screen, from the evocative score of Vincent Ward classic Vigil to 1974's Ueneku, the first television drama in te reo.
Awards
2015 Arts Foundation of New Zealand
Icon Award
2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards
Best Original Music - Film (shared with John Gibson): for Rain of the Children
“Close to Home made me famous really. People seemed to like it, and to recognise it. The money was nice too. ”