(b. 18 January 1953, Halifax, Nova Scotia).
Canadian composer of mostly chamber, piano and electroacoustic works that have been performed in North America.
Mr. Gray is self-taught as a composer. He studied piano privately in Halifax from 1959–69.
He is also active in other positions. As a pianist, he made his début in 1960. He sang as a chorister in the King's College School Chapel Choir from 1966–69 and the Dalhousie Chorale in Nova Scotia in 1974–75. He worked with the ensemble Murphy's Law from 1975–78 and served as an interim director of the Experimental Sound Studio in 1979. He established the studio Life Force Productions in Halifax in 1980 and later worked for the Canadian Music Centre in Toronto.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
Waiting for Dinner (incidental music), 1978, revised 1994
ORCHESTRAL:
Untitled, string orchestra, 1992
Episodes for Orchestra, 2003
Introduction and Autumn Prelude, 2004 (expanded version of Autumn Prelude)
Sinfonia d'espoir, large orchestra, 2005
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Elegy, flute, French horn, double bass, piano, 1973
Drunk Jam, The Third Take, 2 synthesizers, 1975
Journeys without Direction, synthesizer, percussion, fixed media, 1976, revised 1990
Rievaulx, 2 trumpets (1st + vibraphone), electric guitar, double bass, piano (+ synthesizer), 2 percussion, 1977–78
Witness to the Holocaust, synthesizer, 1980
Untitled, ensemble, fixed media, 1985
Untitled, synthesizer, fixed media, 1986
A3W-1, oboe, bassoon, piano, 1987
Pastoral Sequence, synthesizer, 1987
A Hearing in Our Time, synthesizer, fixed media, 1988
Fire Flux, synthesizer, 1990
4W-1, oboe, bassoon, violin, piano, 1991–93 (also version for flute, bassoon, violin, 1993)
Autumn Prelude (original title Advent Prelude), bassoon, violin, harmonium, 1996 (also expanded version as Introduction and Autumn Prelude, orchestra)
Andante in C minor, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, organ, 2002 (version of work for piano)
Le Vernissage, flute ad libitum, oboe, bassoon, 2 French horns, electric guitar, violin, viola, cello, organ, MIDI-keyboard, 2002
Three Old Friends, any 3 players, 2002
Promenade, flute, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2004
Steps to the Setting Sun, flute, clarinet, MIDI-keyboard, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2005
Clarinet Quintet, clarinet, string quartet, 2005
VOCAL:
Little Cantata for Christmas Eve (text from the Book of Luke), mezzo-soprano, baritone, bassoon, violin, harmonium, 1995
PIANO:
Improvisation on the 5'9" Baldwin, 1977
Improvisations, 1981
Hauskonzert, piano (+ synthesizer), 1983
The Big Slow C Major Improvisation with Sostenuto Trick, 1983
Improvisation for David Nos. 1–2, 1984
The Big B-flat Improvisation, 1984
Consolation, 1985
This Subsequent Time, 1986
Benediction, 1986
This Immediate Time, 1986
Benediction Variations, 1987
Improvisation for Chris and Diane, 1990
Fantasie, Minuet and Trio, 1997
Andante in C minor, 1998–99 (also version for oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, organ)
Three Late-Night Improvisations on the Steinway A-3, 1999
Morning Improvisation on the Steinway A-3, 1999
The 29 March 1999 Piano Piece, 1999
The 10 April 2000 Piano Piece, 2000
ORGAN:
Lenten Prelude, 1997
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Exercises on the Modes, Continued, fixed media, 1974
The First CDKU Jingle, fixed media, 1979
The Nova Scotia Tattoo Synthesizer Piece, fixed media, 1979
D3W-1, fixed media, 1981
Igor's 99th, fixed media, 1981
Belinda's O, fixed media, 1981
Sergeant Bluepetal's Dream, fixed media, 1981
Tea Time, fixed media, 1981
By Appointment to Her Majesty, Blended in Scotland, fixed media, 1981
Glory Be!, fixed media, 1981
Afterthought, fixed media, 1981
Coda, fixed media, 1981
D3W-2, fixed media, 1982
Music for Art Galleries No. 1, fixed media, 1979–83 (its four sections may be performed separately: Dinner Music One, 1979; Lamentation, 1981; Reflection, 1981; 23:41.1, 1983)
Venezia, fixed media, 1984
No Radio, fixed media, 1984
The D minor Harpsichord Construction, fixed media, 1984
Music for Art Galleries, Volume 1.1, fixed media, 1984 (one section may be performed separately: Embers)
Peregrine, fixed media, 1985
Preconsolation, fixed media, 1987
Der Abschied, fixed media, 1987
Music for Art Galleries No. 2, fixed media, 1991
Music for Art Galleries No. 3, fixed media, 1996
Music for Art Galleries No. 4, fixed media, 1996
Music for Art Galleries No. 5, fixed media, 1997
FILM SCORES (DIRECTOR):
Perspectives, 1980 (Floyd Gillis)
Time Lines, 1981 (Floyd Gillis)
Atomic Dragons, 1981 (James MacSwain)
Flower, 1985 (James MacSwain)
DISCOGRAPHY
Glory Be!; D3W-1; Belinda's O; Sergeant Bluepetal's Dream; Witness to the Holocaust; Tea Time; By Appointment to Her Majesty, Blended in Scotland; Igor's 99th (excerpt); Recent Works/8 PM (excerpt); Rievaulx; concert (2 excerpts). John S. Gray, piano, synthesizer; ensemble (CSM: 001, 1981) (cassette)
Lamentation; Afterthought; Reflection; Dinner Music One; Coda. (CSM: 002, 1986) (cassette)
Venezia; 23:41.1; Improvisation for David No. 1; Hauskonzert. John S. Gray, piano, synthesizer (CSM: 003, 1986) (cassette)
Improvisation on the 5'9" Baldwin; Journeys without Direction; Drunk Jam, The Third Take. John S. Gray, piano, synthesizer (CSM: 005, 2000) (cassette)
Three Late-Night Improvisations on the Steinway A-3; Morning Improvisation on the Steinway A-3; Andante in C minor (original version); The 29 March 1999 Piano Piece; The 10 April 2000 Piano Piece. John S. Gray, piano (CSM: 006, 2000) (cassette)
9 improvisations. John S. Gray, piano (CSM: 007, 2002)