John McCarthy

Eugene Patrick John McCarthy OBE (20 November 1916 - 8 April 2009), also known professionally for most of his career as John Mac or simply Mac, was a three-time Grammy Award-nominated director and conductor of choral music.

Early life Born in London to Irish parents, McCarthy was educated at the Oratory School in Kensington and then on a scholarship at St. Edmund's School near Ware, Hertfordshire, after which he attended the Royal College of Music. His first recording was in 1927 while still a boy performing as a soprano. He later worked at a bank, and in 1940 married to Margaret Quigley with whom he had twin daughters and a son.

McCarthy was involved in sports in his youth, particularly in water polo. He was a reserve member of the British water polo team for the 1948 Olympic Games. He also went on to found The John McCarthy Singers.

From 1961-66 McCarthy was the chorus master of the London Symphony Orchestra. The LSO's chorus of this era has been described as "simply the Ambrosian Singers under another name". one in 1969 for a performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 2 in C Major, and one in 1976 for conducting a rendition of Cherubini's Requiem in D Minor, all in the "Best Classical Choral Performance" category. He received his OBE in 1989 for services to music.