Music
St. John's music program is an important and exciting part of our common life and a vibrant witness to the community at large. Our choirs for adults, youth, and children lead our Sunday worship at 10:30 and we frequently have guest instrumentalists. We regularly present concerts or other special music to the community.
Choirs
St. John's Parish Choir, led by Peggy Haas Howell and composed of men and women, rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm as well as on Sunday mornings at 9:30am. We sing a wide variety of interesting and challenging music, from Medieval chant to Renaissance polyphony to Shaker pieces to African-American Spirituals to music by many contemporary composers. We also sing for special events: In August of 2011, our Parish Choir together with the choir from The Parish of St. Matthew in Pacific Palisades, California have been invited to to be in residence at Winchester Cathedral, England for a week. The choirs will sing Evensong every day, and will also sing for the Eucharist and Matins on Sunday. Peggy Haas Howell and the organists of St. Matthews will serve as the organists for the week as well. If you like to sing, and are interested in the Parish Choir, please call Peggy Howell at 528-1138 ext. 20 or email peggy@stjohnslynchburg.org. We are always on the lookout for new singers!
Our choirs for young people are part of the Royal School of Church Music program. Children begin by participating in a Training Choir,where they learn to sing as well as to develop skills necessary to participate in worship services. The Training Choir is open to children who are at least in second grade. It meets from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons. The Treble Choir is composed of primary aged children who began singing with the Training Choir. They learn healthy vocal production and being music reading, as well as larning both service music and choral repertoire. When they are ready, usually at some point in February, children become full members of the Treble Choir and receive an RSCM medal.
The St. Cecilia Girls' Choir is a group of elementary through high school girls who sing interesting and challenging two or three part music. They sing two or three times a month in church with the Training Choir, or with a few women from the Parish Choir. All of St. John's choirs occasionally sing together. They rehearse on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
To enroll your child in any of our children's and youth choirs or to find out more information about our choirs, call Peggy Howell at 528-1138 ext. 20 or email her at peggy@stjohnslynchburg.org.
Choir Residency at Winchester Cathedral
St. John’s Parish Choir and the choir of the Parish of St. Matthew in Pacific Palisades were in residence at Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, England from August 8 through 16th. The two choirs collaborated to sing seven services during the week: five Evensongs, one Mattins (sung Morning Prayer), and one Eucharist. Peggy Haas Howell, Tom Neenan, St. Matthew’s director, and Roger Daggy, St. Matthew’s organist were the three musical leaders. The choirs did a mix of traditional Anglican church music by composers from the 16th through 20th centuries as well as a few American anthems. At the final service, Martin Neary, a former organist and choirmaster at Winchester as well as Westminster Abbey was in attendance while the choirs sang Neary’s setting of the Preces and Responses.
Upcoming Concerts
St. John’s New Organ Celebration Continues!
St. John’s new Richard Howell organ was dedicated on Sunday morning, October 2, 2011. St. John’s Organist and Choirmaster, Peggy Haas Howell, played the dedicatory recital on October 9, and guest organist John Scott, Organist and Director of Music at St. Thomas Church, New York City, played a recital on October 23.
Three concerts in early 2012 will continue the celebration of our instrument. An organ recital on January 22 will showcase renowned guest organist, Kimberly Marshall; a concert on February 19 with guest conductor Michael Slon will use the organ to accompany great choral music; and an organ recital on March 18 will feature our own Organist and Choirmaster, Peggy Haas Howell. All concerts are on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. An offering will be taken after each concert.
Kimberly Marshall, a world-renowned concert organist, recording artist, and musicologist will play an organ recital on January 22. Dr. Marshall, who has a D.Phil. in Music from theUniversity of Oxford, is the Director as well as Professor of Organ at Arizona State University School of Music. Winner of the St. Alban’s Competition in Englandin 1985, she has been invited to play in prestigious venues from London’s Royal Festival Hall to historic organs in Switzerland, Sweden, and Paris.
Michael Slon, conductor of the Chamber Singers, University Singers, and a professor on the music faculty at the University of Virginia, will be the guest conductor at a concert featuring choral music with organ accompaniment on February 19. The Chamber Singers from UVA, St. John’s Parish Choir, and Cantate, the Children’s and Youth Choir of Central Virginia, accompanied by Peggy Haas Howell, will perform festival works ranging from Parry’s “I was glad” to Rutter’s “Psalm 150”.
On March 18, Peggy Haas Howell, Organist and Choirmaster at St. John’s, will play an organ recital. Her concert will feature works by Scheidt, Bruhns, Bach, Widor, and Duruflé.
Organs
New Richard Howell Organ
Richard Howell and Company have built a three manual, 32-stop mechanical action organ for St. John’s Church, and are in the process of voicing the organ. As each stop is voiced, we begin using it for church services. To follow the progress of the organ installation, go to Flickr.com/groups/stjohnsepiscopal, where Keith Thienemann, a professional photographer and member of the choir, has posted photos of the work.
For Sale: 1995 Wicks Pipe Organ
In 1995, St. John’s Church bought a 12 rank pipe organ to use as a temporary instrument. As Richard Howell and Company are voicing a custom built 3 manual mechanical action pipe organ of 32 stops (40 ranks) at St. John’s, the church is selling the Wicks organ.
Wicks American Classic Twelve Organ
* Built in 1995 as a demonstrator organ
* Unit organ of 12 ranks, 26 stops
* Free-standing walnut case
* Detached drawknob console
* Peterson switching system
* Excellent condition
* Asking price $75,000
Click here for more information.
Contact Peggy Haas Howell at 434-528-1138 ext. 20 or peggy@stjohnslynchburg.org.
