John Carter (44)

Born: 1932 Died: 1981 So little is known about John Carter that we cannot be sure even when he died (the date given above represents the consensus of conjectural opinion). We know that he was born into an Afro-American family in St Louis, Missouri, in 1932, studied at Oberlin College, Ohio, became an accomplished pianist, and taught at the Federal City College, Washington D.C. As for his composing activities, there is general agreement only that he was composer-in-residence with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1968. A solitary source claims he was 'prolific' although, in fact, there is no evidence of anything but arrangements of hymns, carols and spirituals, and it is difficult to trace performances of anything but his Cantata - of which Soprano Christine Brewer is a prominent (but no means only) exponent. Gerald Larner © 2008 - taken from the liner notes to Wigmore Hall Live release WHLive0022