Sydney Bertram Carter (6 May 1915 – 13 March 2004) was an English poet, songwriter, and folk musician. He is best known for the song "Lord of the Dance" (1963), whose music is based on the Shaker song "Simple Gifts", and for the song "The Crow on the Cradle", which was recorded by Jackson Browne and used on the soundtrack to the film In the King of Prussia (1983) and No Nukes (1980).
His other notable songs include "Julian of Norwich" (sometimes called "The Bells of Norwich"), based on words of Julian of Norwich, "One More Step Along the World I Go", "When I Needed a Neighbour", "Friday Morning", "Every Star Shall Sing a Carol", "The Youth of the Heart", "Down Below", "Sing John Ball" and "Walk In The Light" (a Quaker song also known as “The Ballad of George Fox song”) (1964).
Biography
Born in Camden Town, London, Carter was educated at Montem Street Primary School in Finsbury Park, before winning a scholarship to Christ's Hospital school in Horsham, West Sussex. He read Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1936.
He taught at Frensham Heights School in Surrey. A committed pacifist, he registered as a conscientious objector in the Second World War and joined the Friends' Ambulance Unit. He served in Egypt, Palestine and Greece alongside Donald Swann, who became a friend and collaborator.
In 1952 he married Natalia Benckendorff, a Russian emigre from St Petersburg. She died soon afterwards in a climbing accident on Minorca.
In 1964 he married his second wife Leela Nair, with whom he had a son, the neurosurgeon Michael Carter.