The Composer's Perspective: An Evening of Music & Insights

Have you ever wondered what a composer is thinking while creating a piece of music? This is your chance to find out.

Join us on October 18, 2025 for a unique evening that bridges the gap between creator and audience, featuring the work of two gifted composers, Mrs. Evelyn Larter and Dr. Daniel Barta. You’ll hear their works performed by eight talented musicians, showcasing a variety of styles for voice, instruments and narration with chamber music.

The Composer's Perspective offers more than a traditional concert; it is an immersive experience into the heart of the creative process. This event will feature exciting live performances, interspersed with thoughts about the works with Evelyn and Dan, where they will share the inspiration, challenges, and stories behind the music.

This fusion of performance and insights promises to deepen your understanding and appreciation, illuminating the notes on the page and transforming the act of listening. Experience the music as a living narrative.

This is a free concert. Doors open at 6:30 pm. A free will offering will be taken.

Evelyn Larter was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and is an honors graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music where she won the prestigious Governor’s Recital Prize for piano. Since moving to the United States with her husband and family in 1988, Evelyn has been active in the Philadelphia area, collaborating with many well-known soloists and ensembles. She was on the music staff of historic Tenth Presbyterian Church for 11 years, regularly substituting on the organ.

Since September 2003, Evelyn has been Director of Music at historic Deerfield Presbyterian Church, South Jersey, where she began a regular recital series, often with world class musicians. As a composer, Evelyn writes anthems for her small church choir, and hymn arrangements for instrumental and vocal solos, and for small ensembles. She is published by the Lorenz Corporation, Saint James Music Press, Augsburg Fortress Publications and Sheet Music Plus.com. Her music is also available on her own website, www.evelynlartermusic.com. Of late she has been concentrating on creating new organ repertoire.

Evelyn is an active member of the SouthWest Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, having twice served as Dean. She was the Convention Coordinator for the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Regional Convention, AGO, where she was also a commissioned composer, and until recently was the District Convener for the AGO in New Jersey. She was recently awarded Second Prize in a national AGO-sponsored competition seeking new organ music by woman composers, and Third Prize in a new music competition sponsored by the Palm Beach County chapter of the AGO.

December 2011 saw the release of her first CD recording, a collaboration with flutist Daniel Sharp titled Amid the Winter's Snow. In 2015 Evelyn fulfilled a commission from Lydia Calhoun, clarinet, to create many new international Christmas carol arrangements for a double CD project entitled Carols for the King from Around the World, which she also recorded and premiered with Lydia. In 2019 her collection of hymn arrangements for piano trio, How Sweet The Sound, was named a runner up in the Sheet Music Press annual competition to find the best new music published on the website. The collection was subsequently recorded and given world-wide release by the Elite Artists Trio, a Steinway Artists ensemble in Taiwan, under the title Amazing Grace.

Evelyn was one of six organists featured in a recent CD of movie music recorded at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, home of the world’s largest organ. Titled The Big Screen On The Boardwalk, it was released in December 2021.

Evelyn enjoys all kinds of music and has taught many gifted students. She served many years on the faculty of the Csehy Summer School of Music in Langhorne, PA, teaching piano, organ and composition. She is married to Rev Dr Kenneth Larter, the Pastor Emeritus of Deerfield Presbyterian Church. They have four adult children and five grandchildren.

Dr. Daniel Barta studied piano at Moody Bible Institute, and composition at Cairn University and Temple University, where he received his DMA in Composition. From 1991-2007, he was Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Cairn University in Philadelphia, PA. From 2007-2023, he was Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY, also serving as Chair of the Department of Music and Performing Arts from 2013-2021. Upon retirement from academia in 2023, he was awarded professor emeritus.

Dan has composed in many genres, including solo, choral, chamber and orchestral works. His published works for choir include God Is Our Refuge and Strength (Psalm 46), commissioned for the International Schools of China Choral Festival in Tianjin, China. His choral setting of Isaiah 61:1-3 in French, Ésaïe 61:1-3, was written shortly after the tragic burning of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, and was premiered at the American Cathedral in Paris. Collaborating with storyteller Roger Petersen, Ph.D., he composed and recorded a set of five Hans Christian Andersen stories for storyteller and chamber ensemble. Recent commissions include two piano settings of Be Thou My Vision and Amazing Grace. Dan has composed for numerous artists including Sharon Sweet (Soprano), Michael Stairs (Organist, Philadelphia Orchestra), David Kim (Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra) and Ann Martindale Williams (Principal Cellist, Pittsburgh Symphony). His music has been reviewed in numerous publications including The American Organist, American Record Guide, Crescendo and Choral Journal (ACDA). His works are published by Concordia, Choristers Guild, Paul Jones Music and Shaw Music and distributed by J.W. Pepper, which granted him two Editor’s Choice awards.

Dan is the proud father of two grown children and a recently born granddaughter. He currently resides with his wife Peggy in Tampa, Florida, where he still composes, performs and plays pickleball.

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