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John Carter. Choir conductor, organist, b London 7 Jul 1832, d Port Dalhousie (St Catharines), Ont, 1916. He arrived in Canada ca 1853 and lived at first in Quebec City, where he was organist 1853-6 at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.
Carter, John
In 1856 he moved to Toronto, where he founded and conducted, ca 1857-9, the Sacred Harmonic Choir, whose presentation of Messiah 17 Dec 1857 is thought to have been the first complete oratorio performance in Upper Canada (Ontario). He was the organist 1856-78 at St James' Cathedral and in 1861 founded the Musical Union. He gave piano recital series in Toronto in 1865 and 1866, conducted a performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore at the Music Hall 21 May 1866, and during the early 1870s directed his brother William's cantata, Placida, the Christian Martyr, at St James Schoolhouse. No evidence has been found of professional activities after 1878. One of his hymn tunes, 'Quebec,' is reprinted in CMH vol 5.
