Jack Lenz
John Frederick "Jack" Lenz is a Canadian composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre,[1] along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures.[2][3] He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organization devoted to the production of music for the Baháʼí community.
Lenz contributed additional music for the John Debney score for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. Among his current projects is working on a movie about the persecution of Baháʼís in Iran, particularly the story of Mona Mahmudnizhad who suffered under the persecution in Iran,[4] under the title of Mona's Dream.[5][6] He was music director of 90 Minutes Live, with Peter Gzowski on CBC Television from 1976 to 1978.
He resides in Toronto, Ontario.
Background
Lenz was born in Eston, Saskatchewan. His mother was also raised in Saskatchewan, and his father came to Canada from Hungary during the Depression. While still in his youth, Lenz took piano lessons from Garth Beckett and later studied composition at the University of Saskatchewan.[7] Lenz became a professional musician when he played keyboards and flute for the soft-rock bands Seals and Crofts and Loggins and Messina touring around the world, performing before large audiences, and recording.[8] Lenz' involvement in children's issues stems partly from having seven children of his own, as well as being in an arena which avoids "the conflict between what I believe about music and its sacred nature and dealing with what a lot of programming deals with, which sometimes could be the worst aspects of human nature."[7] Lenz joined the Baháʼí Faith in 1969.[8]
Discography
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Final Offer | TV movie |
| 1994 | To Catch a Yeti | |
| 1995 | Pocahontas: The Legend | — |
| 2004 | The Passion of the Christ | — |
| 2008 | The Good Witch | TV movie |
| 2009 | The Good Witch's Garden | |
| 2010 | The Good Witch's Gift | |
| 2011 | The Good Witch's Family | |
| 2012 | The Good Witch's Charm | |
| 2013 | The Good Witch's Destiny | |
| 2014 | The Good Witch's Wonder | |
| Left Behind | — | |
| [9] | ||
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-1999 | Due South | 63 episodes |
| 1995-1998 | Goosebumps | 34 episodes |
| 1999-2004 | Nanalan' | Composer and executive producer |
| 2001-2004 | Doc | 6 episodes |
| 2003-2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | 53 episodes |
| 2003-2009 | The Saddle Club | 46 episodes |
| 2004-2008 | Atomic Betty | 79 episodes |
| 2007-2012 | Little Mosque on the Prairie | 88 episodes |
| 2008-2009 | Big & Small | 21 episodes |
| 2015-2021 | Good Witch | 73 episodes |
| 2018-2019 | Battle Dogs | Producer and composer, ten episodes |
| [9] | ||
Albums
| Year | Album/Song | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Finale | Flutist | — |
| 1983 | OK Blue Jays | Songwriter | — |
| 2004 | Go Where Love Goes | Preformed by Andrea Bocelli on Andrea |
Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Best Original Music Score for a Series | Due South, episode "Free Willie" | Nominated |
| 1996 | Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series | Due South, episode "The Gift of the Wheelman" | Nominated |
| 2004 | Best Pre-School Program or Series | Nanalan' | Nominated |
| [9] | |||
References
- ^ "Official Website Bio". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
- ^ Cherry Lane Music Publishing, Film and TV Composers, Jack Lenz
- ^ "Socan, Archived News 2004, Jack Lenz". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
- ^ Mona's Message
- ^ "Mona's Dream". Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ Note Mona Mahmudnizhad's story is also the subject of other art works: music artist Doug Cameron's popular song "Mona with the Children" which made the top of the pop charts (#14 for the week of October 19, 1985) according to "Pop Annual 1955-1999: Sixth Edition" "Pop Annual 1955-1999: Sixth Edition" for October, 1985 and as a play A Dress for Mona Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Millennnium Arts Society Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine – Jack Lenz in conversation with Joseph Lerner
- ^ a b Baháʼí Community of Canada, Canadian Baháʼís > In the News > Jack Lenz Archived 2004-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Jack Lenz". IMDb. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
External links
- Jack Lenz at IMDb
- Millennnium Arts Society - Jack Lenz in conversation with Joseph Lerner
- Mona's Dream Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine