William Carter (composer)

William Carter (7 December 1838 – 1917) was an English composer, conductor, and organist. He began a lengthy career as an organist at mainly churches in London at the age of nine. In 1859 and 1860 he spent one year in Canada as the organist at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec, during which time he staged what was possibly the largest Handel Festival in Canada at that time. As a composer he is known for his liturgical anthems for chorus and organ, sacred works for organ, the oratorio Placida, the Christian Martyr (1872), and Cantata Domino in E (1891). His father John Carter (1802-????) worked as an organist at St Matthew’s, Bethnal Green and married Anne Leach on 10 April 1831. Three of his brothers were also composers and organists: John Carter (1832–1916), George Carter (1835–1890) and Henry Carter (1837–1901). Like his brothers, William Carter was trained as an organist and pianist by his father and by the Austrian pianist and composer Ernst Pauer. William Carter died in London in 1917. References