He was born in the Chahar province of China in 1937,[2] the son of a British father, Joseph (c.1909–1955), and a Swiss-German mother, Wilhelmina ("Mina", 1908–1993), who were licensed preachers and missionaries to Mongolia.
Payne's family moved again, this time to Connecticut, where his father became the pastor of Faith Assembly of God in Hartford.
For many years he was organist and music director for Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston; under his direction, WGBH offered the first live broadcast in North America of a Christmastime Festival of Lessons and Carols.
[7] Though his performance debut featured contemporary music,[8] and though he gave the first performances of works by Norman Dello Joio, Elliott Carter, Charles Wuorinen, Arnold Franchetti and other prominent contemporaries and was the accompanist of Joan Sutherland on her first American tour, he was most widely known as a harpsichord recitalist who specialised in the work of Baroque composers, some of them little known.
His Spaced-out Bach (RCA Victor Red Seal) explored the quadraphonic technology and enjoyed a cross-over success.
[11] In the early 1980s Payne accepted an invitation from the Episcopal Parish of All Saints, Ashmont, Massachusetts, and the family moved to Dorchester.
There he made a mark as a musical evangelist among the young, and the Men and Boys at All Saints performed in many venues, including radio and television; and was featured in national magazines.