John Stead
Composer and son et lumiere artistoverview
Most of my compositions use a wide palette of sounds, involving investigation of natural sounds through the use of computer technology, synthetic sounds and environmental sounds as well as conventional instrumentation. The overwhelming influence in my creative life is that of Olivier Messiaen - as a composer and as a remarkable human being, though others including J.S. Bach, Michael Tippett, Pierre Henry, Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, Pierre Boulez, Jonathan Harvey and Toru Takemitsu have played no small part in my musical, philosophical and metaphysical development as a composer.
Instrumental work with live electronics such as Play II (1985) have, in recent years, given way to acousmatic music concrete work. Such pieces include 'Rock Mass' (1998) for 4 channel diffusion and 'Music for Bells and Spaces' (commissioned to celebrate the refurbishment of the medieval bells at St.Marys',Lowgate, Hull.U.K. (2003). Work on the www.alleph.net web site was given a BAFTA Digital Arts Award in 2004, and soon after a sound environment for a film project,'Rangoli Afloat' was commissioned for British Waterways. The most recent commission " ... another mighty angel ..." received it's first performance on December 10th 2006 at St. Marys' Church, Lowgate, Hull. U.K.
© J.S. 2006