At the age of 34, Sydney singer-songwriter and Polyphony Choir director Jack Colwell has passed away. He was a one-man séance who could reach operatic heights and scare the horses with his raw, primal lows during live performances. His appearance was akin to an idealized vision board featuring romantic images, such as a shirtless dreamboat plunging into a flower bed and a knight in shining armor indulging in an ice cream sundae. He will be missed by all his admirers and his community.
Jack was the joyful Polyphony Choir’s music director in Sydney. By bringing people together, the choir assisted a great number of various individuals in finding a place to call home and a family. Often wearing a leather chest harness or a sparkling cloak, Jack led the chorus. I know a little something of the choir’s feelings right now. When I proposed a concert in Melbourne’s brand-new Amphlett Lane in 2015, Jack immediately agreed to serve as choirmaster. He worked hard to teach us how to sing Divinyl’s songs in four-part harmony and to sing this difficult a cappella. His vivacious face was our guide for the evening, giving us the assistance we needed.
Colwell’s mother played the concert piano. Sydney Conservatorium of Music High School was his school of choice. Colwell worked in the backroom of the Australian music industry before to embarking on his solo career. He assisted Karen O with her 2012 Sydney Opera House performance of “Stop The Virgens” and arranged vocals for Architecture in Helsinki. Moreover, he was in a band known as Jack Colwell & The Owls.
His funeral plans and obituary will be announced by his at later date of their own volition.
