John Raynor was born at Westminster, London on 5 June 1909. His father, Arthur Guy Sandars Raynor, was Master of the King's Scholars at
Westminster School, his mother was Ada Shute Raynor.
Raynor studied at the Royal College of Music and was St Nicolas scholar at the
School of English Church Music soon after it was founded by Sir Sydney
Nicholson in 1929.
He lived in Sussex for over 30 years, during which time he wrote over 680
compositions.
His interests included the study of butterflies and moths, clock-repairing,
musical-box collecting and playing the organ at his local church.
He died in Sussex on Ascension Day (7th May), 1970, after being hit by a car
when returning home from playing the organ for the Easter Vigil at his local
church.
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| Raynor's 680 compositions are mainly
song settings for solo voice, including settings of poems by British authors including
Shakespeare, Tennyson, R.L.Stevenson, Masefield, Yeats, Housman and Belloc.
He also wrote sacred music, particularly carols, and settings of the Mass and
of the Evening Service.
Finally, he penned several piano pieces.
His songs were championed by Vaughan Williams and sung by several noted
soloists, including Ian Partridge, in a number of BBC radio broadcasts.
He composed settings of folk songs from Britain and elsewhere.
Raynor's songs are described as having a vocal line and piano accompaniment
which are fluent and ingratiating and that blend perfectly; with piano writing
that is ingenious and effective.
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