Sydney Bertram Carter (6 May 1915–13 March 2004) was an
English poet,
songwriter,
folk musician, born in
Camden Town,
London. He is best known for the song "
Lord of the Dance" (1963), set to the tune of the
American Shaker song "
Simple Gifts", and the song "The Crow on the Cradle", adapted from an old folk song. Other notable songs include "
Julian of Norwich", "One More Step Along the Road I go", "When I Needed a Neighbour", "Every Star Shall Sing a Carol", "The Youth of the Heart" and "Down Below".
Life and career
He studied at
Christ's Hospital school in
Horsham,
West Sussex and
Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in
history in 1936. A committed pacifist, Carter joined the
Friends' Ambulance Unit on the outbreak of
World War II and served in
Egypt,
Palestine and
Greece.
He worked as a lyricist for
Donald Swann's revues and musicals in the 1950s and in 1962, produced an album "Putting out the
Dustbin" with
Sheila Hancock, with the song "Last Cigarette" on failing to give up smoking that became a minor hit.
"Lord of the Dance"
Partly inspired by
Jesus, and partly by a statue of
Shiva as
Nataraja, Sydney wrote the lyrics "
Lord Of The Dance" in 1963, as an adaptation of
Joseph Brackett's "Simple Gifts", and a tribute to Shaker music. He later stated, "I did not think the churches would like it at all. I thought many people would...
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