John Paynter

John Paynter was born on 17 July 1931 in London (Great Britain). He studied at the Trinity College of Music. After his studies he first worked as a music teacher in primary and secondary schools. In 1962 John Paynter became lecturer in music at the C. F. Mott College of Education, and his career switched from working with children to teaching future music teachers. In 1965 he moved to the Bishop Otter College in Chichester, and was appointed lecturer at the Department of Music at the University of York in 1969. He remained at this institution until his retirement in 1994, becoming Senior Lecturer in 1974 and professor in 1982. One of John Paynter's main research project was the question how students of all ages gain knowledge and joy through musical experimentation and improvisation. This led to his most famous publication "Sound and Silence" (co-written with Peter Aston).
In the late 1960s John Paynter also worked together with Jim Henson in New York on The Muppets to advise and help create new programmes for children, as well as writing signature-tune music for some of the characters.
Between 1973 and 1982 John Paynter also directed the Schools Council Project Music, a major enterprise that documented best practice in schools and led to several changes in the school curriculum. With Keith Swanwick he founded the British Journal of Music Education in 1983 and co-edited it until 1997.
John Paynter died on 1 July 2010.

The work catalogue of the composer John Paynter includes educational works and works for students as well as compositions asking for professional musicians.

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the work "Aubade, Song & Burlesque - A suite for harpsichord" by John Paynter. The work was composed in 1949 during his time as a student at Trinity College. It is dedicated to Joseph Saxby, the renowned harpsichordist.