WARM tributes have been paid to a York music man celebrated the world over and whose work inspired generations.
York composer, choral director, and music teacher Andrew Carter died peacefully at home on January 5 aged 86 after a long and distinguished career that saw his work performed at St Paul's Cathedral.
He was best known for his much-loved Christmas music, particularly A Maiden Most Gentle, which became an enduring favourite through its association with the BBC’s annual broadcast of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge.
Among his most famous pupils was North Yorkshire soprano Lynne Dawson, who sang at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in Leicester in 1939, the son of a sock factory engineer, Andrew recalled his amateur pianist mother gathering the children around the piano to sing Teddy Bears' Picnic. He sang as a treble in his school carol service.
All his family were hand-bell ringers and the hand-bell was his first instrument.
He studied piano and organ at Leeds University but always retained his interest in singing, leading to his appointment as bass songman at York Minster in 1962.
Three years later he founded the Chapter House Choir at York Minster and conducted it for 17 years. The choir won the BBC's Let The Peoples Sing competition.
A Winston Churchill Fellow in 1981, he studied choral traditions in Scandinavia, and in 1986 became a founder committee member of the Association of British Choral Directors (ABCD), addressing its first convention in Oxford.
The role of the songman was to sing in the Minster every day of the week, apart from Wednesday afternoons.
Back then, the Minster had its own education department and Andrew spent his mornings teaching pupils at the Bar Convent and also at the Minster.
Andrew was also an acclaimed arranger and composer as well as conductor, writing his first composition at the age of 15.
In 1969, he married Sylvia Beard, and they had one son, Martin, and one daughter, Elinor, who became a professional mezzo-soprano. He is survived by his children and also daughter-in-law Krissie, and five grandchildren.
Banks Music in York became Andrew's first publisher in 1971; the Oxford University Press followed in 1978.
A Maiden Most Gentle, a piece Andrew first wrote for the Bar Convent, was spotted on the publisher's desk by Philip Ledger, director of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and it was duly performed in the Christmas Eve service of carols broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
It proved to be a turning point in his career, offering the world a shop window into his work. The arrangement has been sung around the world.
A career highlight was his 1997 commission for the tercentenary of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
His travels as a composer and conductor took him across the world to the United States, Australia and Europe.
To mark his 75th birthday in 2014, York choir the Chanticleer Singers gave an anniversary concert at St Chad on the Knavesmire Parish Church and invited his daughter Elinor to sing.
In a Facebook post Chanticleer Singers wrote: "It is with great sadness that we report the death of our President, Andrew Carter. Andrew died peacefully at home on Monday 5th January. We send our deepest sympathy to his family."
Press music reviewer Martin Dreyer said: "Andrew will be remembered in York for his excellent skills as a choir-trainer, which live on in the Chapter House Choir, which he founded 60 years ago. It is still one of the finest chamber choirs in the country. He attended one of its concerts as recently as last October, when he was in good heart.
"Further afield, he enjoyed an immense reputation as a choral composer and arranger, with his Christmas carols particularly admired and especially popular in North America. I am proud to have many of them on disc. They will undoubtedly outlive him.
"On a personal level, he was always a pleasure to encounter at concerts, a jovial soul with a deep, hearty laugh. We enjoyed many a joke together. He was always kindly solicitous of my own and my wife's wellbeing. I shall miss him."
Classic FM also gave a tribute: “Andrew Carter was a huge presence in the UK classical music world… We loved sharing his music with our audience, in particular his Christmas compositions which we know were loved by many.”
Andrew's daughter Elinor said: "It's been extremely humbling to see how many lives Dad touched. Messages about him so often mention what a gentleman he was, and how he always made the person he was talking to feel valued and interesting. This makes me very proud to be his daughter... although it's also pretty special to have songs he's written for me to sing!"
His son Martin said: "Growing up, having so much wonderful music in the house always seemed normal - Mum's warm renditions of Chopin floating up the stairs, fragments of Dad's melodic compositions drifting through at all hours from the grand piano in his upstairs room.
"It's only as adults we realised how very privileged we were to be raised among such talent and musicality. What we always, always knew though was how incredibly fortunate we were to be raised with such love, by such wonderful people.
"We will miss Dad terribly, but were very privileged to have had 86 fantastic years with his kindness and good humour. He was a fantastic dad and a loving father-in-law and grandfather, always keenly interested in the whole family's growth and achievements and always brilliant fun to be with.
"It's been very comforting to read that he was so well loved wherever he went, though no surprise - he was genuinely, warmly interested in everyone. We have been very grateful for the many messages of condolence and tributes to his talent, and of everyone's happy memories of him."
Following a private family cremation, a service to celebrate Andrew's life will take place at the Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, York, at 4pm, on Friday, January 30. For those unable to attend in person, online participation will be available by request. Further details are available at: andrewcarter.org/funeral.
For a fuller collection of tributes, please see the ‘Memories and Tributes’ page on Andrew Carter’s website: andrewcarter.org/memories.
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