John Harle (born 20 September 1956 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English saxophonist and composer. Attracted to minimalist music, he became a founding member of the Michael Nyman Band, with which he performed from 1981-1999.
Harle was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and traces his love of history to being taught there by William Feaver, now The Observer's art critic. Harle heard alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges perform with Duke Ell...
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John Harle (born 20 September 1956 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English saxophonist and composer. Attracted to minimalist music, he became a founding member of the Michael Nyman Band, with which he performed from 1981-1999.
Harle was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and traces his love of history to being taught there by William Feaver, now The Observer's art critic. Harle heard alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges perform with Duke Ellington's band in the early 1970s,and this was one of his childhood influences, along with Pink Floyd, Karlheinz Stockhausen, King Crimson and Peter Maxwell Davies. Harle began his musical career as a clarinetist and served as solo clarinetist in the Band of the Coldstream Guards, where he was awarded the Cousins Memorial Medal, Kneller Hall. He studied saxophone, clarinet and composition at the Royal College of Music and graduated with a 100% final mark in 1980. From 1977–1982 he was leader of the Myrha Saxophone Quartet, before forming an...
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