John Courter, 68

Local News

Related Photos

John Courter Special to the Register

June 23, 2010

Carillonneur, retired professor of music at Berea College, dies

Anonymous Lakes Funeral Home The Richmond Register Wed Jun 23, 2010, 10:01 AM EDT

BEREA — John Courter, organist and carillonneur at Berea College and retired professor of music, died Monday, June 21. He was 68.

Mr. Courter joined the Berea College faculty in 1971 as a teacher and organist. After retiring from teaching in 2007, he continued to serve as college organist and was also the college carillonneur. In addition, he was the organist at Union Church and had been a long-time contributor to the music of St. Clare Catholic Church, both in Berea.

A native of Lansing, Mich., Mr. Courter earned a bachelor's degree in choral music education from Michigan State University in 1962 and a master of music degree in organ in 1966 from the University of Michigan. He had also studied at the North German Organ Academy and held diplomas from the Netherlands Carillon School.

Mr. Courter contributed to the musical life of the campus and larger community in numerous ways during his 39 years at Berea. In the music department he taught organ, piano, chime, and carillon performance, church music, and music theory and was a former director of the Harmonia Society. As College Organist he performed frequently for official functions, at worship services in Danforth Chapel, as an accompanist for the Concert Choir and other campus ensembles, and as a recitalist. A well-known organist in the region, he was Dean of the Lexington Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Mr. Courter was involved in the renovation of the Holtkamp pipe organ in Gray Auditorium at Berea and the recent restoration of the 10-bell chime in Phelps Stokes Chapel. He was the driving force behind Berea's 56-bell carillon, the largest in the state of Kentucky, and had been the College Carillonneur since 2000 when the instrument was installed.

In 1995, Mr. Courter received Berea College's esteemed Seabury Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2006 received the Elizabeth Perry Miles Award for Community Service for his numerous contributions to the campus and community as a musician and for volunteer service with Madison County's public radio station.

In 1993, Mr. Courter was awarded the prestigious Berkeley Medal for Distinguished Service to the Carillon as a performer and composer. He was a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists, the highest certificate of achievement, and a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Recently, the Board of Directors and membership of that organization bestowed on him the unprecedented title of permanent Honorary Member of the Guild.

Mr. Courter had been one of the leading contemporary composers for the carillon. He won several international prizes with his original compositions for the instrument and his works have been published in Germany, the Netherlands and the United States as well as performed on carillons throughout the world. He has written works commissioned by the Palace of Government in Barcelona, the cities of Utrecht, Kampen and Almelo (The Netherlands), the Arts Council of Ireland, the University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University. "In Memoriam - Sept. 11, 2001," a three and a half minute piece written in 2002 to honor victims of that event, has been played around the world. One of his compositions is also included in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and Grove online.

In 2005, Mr. Courter established the Summer Carillon Concert Series at Berea College which continues to bring international performers of the instrument to Berea's campus. In his will, Mr. Courter had made arrangements for the ongoing maintenance of Berea's carillon, which will be dedicated as the John Courter Carillon during the College's Homecoming this fall.

John was the son of the late Leonard I. and Luella Kirchmeyer Courter of Lansing Mich., and he is survived by: his siblings Leonard Kaye (Nona) Courter of Carson City, Mich., David Charles (Katherine) Courter of Hasting, Mich., Ruth Ann (Lloyd) Deter of Muskegon, Mich., and Luella M. (William) Best of Six Lakes, Mich.; seven nieces and nephews; and 19 great-nieces and nephews also survive John; and special friend and caregiver at the end of his life, the Rev. Dr. Theresa Scherf of Berea. John was also preceded in death by: a nephew Shane; and great-niece Nicole.

A memorial service for John Courter will take place Thursday, June 24, 2010, at 3 p.m. at Union Church in Berea. There will be a special memorial concert and celebration of Mr. Courter's life at Berea later this year. Lakes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, online register book at www.lakesfuneralhome.com.

Text Only

Local News

Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Pets of the Week from the Madison County Animal Shelter
The Madison County Animal Shelter is located at 1386 Richmond Road in Berea. Shelter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Animals available for adoption can be seen from noon to close Monday through Saturday. The adoption fee for cats and kittens is $10. Puppies and grown dogs may be adopted for $25. Adoptions include a free veterinary exam, a first series of vaccinations, a discount on spaying and neutering, free licensing and de-worming. Call the shelter at 986-9625.

May 25, 2012 2 Photos
A big sister’s reflection on life, love and changes
Yesterday was my Little Sister’s graduation. This one, though, was especially important to me.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos
Veterans will conduct Memorial Day programs
Although Memorial Day weekend may be a time of picnics and barbecue for many, some will be observing the day’s original meaning.

May 24, 2012
EKU Arts Center attendance tops 50,000 mark
The Center for the Arts at Eastern Kentucky University has played host during its inaugural season to more than 50,500 guests from more than 30 states and abroad, according to data released by EKU.

May 24, 2012 3 Photos
Man charged with rape, kidnapping
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office arrested an Irvine man early Wednesday morning on charges of rape, kidnapping and assault.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at 3:30 a.m. in the area of Panola and Knob Lick, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Willard Reardon.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Summer break, here we come
Students and faculty at B. Michael Caudill Middle School participated in field day activities Wednesday. Today is Madison County Schools’ last day before summer break begins.

May 24, 2012 5 Photos
City to require pawn brokers, resellers to obtain, report records
The Richmond City Commission heard first readings of two ordinances Tuesday that are designed to thwart criminals’ ability to sell stolen items.
The ordinances will require pawn brokers, consignment stores, junk/scrap metal dealers and other similar businesses to obtain the identities of their customers and keep records of items acquired.

May 24, 2012
County to settle on retirement back pay for two deputies
A settlement has been made in the case of two Madison County sheriff’s deputies seeking back hazardous duty retirement pay after being fired in 2010 by former Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell.

May 24, 2012
Grand jury indicts men in double-murder
Two men accused of killing a Richmond couple for money and then hiding their bodies in graves along Tates Creek Road were indicted Wednesday on capital charges by a Madison grand jury.
Matthew Denholm, 27, and Daniel Keene, 26, were both indicted on two counts each of murder, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse charges. They also were each indicted on tampering with physical evidence and first-degree burglary charges.
The indictments were returned around 2 p.m. and read by Judge Jean C. Logue. Commonwealth’s Attorney David Smith said he expected Denholm and Keene would be arraigned in Madison Circuit Court in mid-June.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

John Courter, 68

Carillonneur, retired professor of music at Berea College, dies

A recent health ranking listed Madison County as the 20th healthiest county in the state. It measured factors such as exercise, access to health care and smoking. Do you smoke cigarettes?

Site Map