   tony backhouse (born 1947) is a musician from new zealand. he played in nz bands such as the crocodiles, and formed australian a cappella groups, the elevators, the cafe of the gate of salvation, the honeybees and the heavenly lights. currently he lives in new zealand and works as a singer, composer, author and workshop leader, in the areas of vocal arranging and gospel music. ==history== backhouse completed a b.a. (english), and b.mus. (composition) at victoria university of wellington, new zealand, under the tutorship of composers david farquhar and jenny mcleod. he later completed a graduate course in ethnomusicology (focusing on blues and gospel) at university of memphis, usa. backhouse composes and arranges mainly for a cappella choirs, always with an ear to vernacular traditions - contemporary funk, african choirs, gospel - and to anything polyphonic. works that typify his style are jubilation and in the shadow of thy wings, (cafÃ© of the gate of salvation). ==bands== in the early seventies, backhouse composed and performed music for nz radio, theatre and film, but most of his energies were spent in nz funk/soul/pop bands, including mammal, spats, rough justice and the crocodiles (which won three recording industry awards in 1980). relocating to australia in 1981, and following the demise of the crocodiles, backhouse formed his own band, vulgar beatmen (with ex-crocodile jonathan zwartz and ex-rough justice peter boyd and mike gubb) and sang and/or played guitar with renÃ©e geyer, joe walsh, jenny morris, jackie orszaszcky and many others. he has arranged and recorded backing vocals for dave dobbyn, tim finn, vince jones, justine clarke and the umbrellas. backhouse's songs have been recorded by jenny morris, renÃ©e geyer and others, and he has contributed to film soundtracks including sweetie (jane campion), rodney & juliet (fane flaws) and brain dead (peter jackson). ==a cappella== in the mid-eighties backhouse became deeply immersed in the black gospel tradition, and, as a result, increasingly involved in community music, choral directing and running vocal workshops. he founded the a cappella quartet the elevators, a cappella gospel choirs the cafÃ© of the gate of salvation and the honeybees and a cappella quartet the heavenly light quartet. backhouse has received
1947_births Living_people New_Zealand_expatriates_in_the_United_States New_Zealand_musicians University_of_Memphis_alumni Victoria_University_of_Wellington_alumni