Music

Music is an integral and important part worship at St. John’s.  The 9:30am English-language service is with organ and piano, using the 1982 Hymnal and Lift Every Voice and Sing. The Psalms and responsorial are chanted, Sanctus is sung, there are usually three or four congregational hymns, and instrumental pieces played as a Prelude, Offertory Anthem, and Postlude. Guest musicians often enhance the service music with the sounds of winds, piano, strings, handbells, tympani, and brass.

Music for the 11:30am Spanish-language service is provided by a guitarist, with congregational hymns selected from El Himnario and Flor y Canto.


Instruments

We are blessed with a magnificent pipe organ, designed and built in 1957 (and rebuilt in 1989) by Charles W. McManis.  St. John’s also owns a Mason & Hamlin concert grand piano (in our worship space), a Yamaha grand (in the Library), a small endowment fund to support guest musicians and music purchases, and an extensive library of choral and instrumental music.


Musicians

Henry Church (guitar)

Henry Church


Robert Havery (organ, piano)

Bob was the Organist and Choirmaster at St. John’s from 1969 to 1986, and again from 1996 until his retirement in 2015. Since then he has come back to play regularly at our services, usually the first and second Sundays of each month. He holds Bachelor and Master degrees from Juilliard, and has played numerous recitals in Connecticut, New York, Canada and England. In 2020, Bob retired after a 52-year career of teaching music and celebrating the arts at Westover School in Middlebury. He hoped his legacy will be “that the arts are intrinsic to the life of a complete human being.”


Brian Ladden (ukelele, djembe)


Rosemary Minkler (piano)


Rosemary is an accomplished pianist, composer, and audio engineer. She has played at both the English and Spanish-lanuage services at St. John’s since 2011 when she was still in high school. She grew up surrounded by music and began studying piano at an early age, discovering her passion for jazz at the Litchfield Jazz Camp. Rosemary continued her studies on a full scholarship to Western Connecticut State University, where she received a degree in Audio and Music Production with a concentration in Jazz Piano. While at WCSU, she worked closely with renowned jazz saxophonist Jimmy Greene and was an intern for Stamford-based audio engineer Greg Tobler, whom she still works with on various audio post-production projects.


Steven Minkler (piano, organ, bass)


Steve has been part of the Music Ministry at St. John’s since the mid-1990s, playing occasionally for both the English and Spanish services, and now once per month at the English service. Steve served as Music Coordinator from September 2015 until March 2020, when the COVID pandemic forced worship services into an online format. During his tenure as Music Coordinator, he introduced the concept of a rotating schedule of musicians with different styles and instrumentations. Beside himself, these included organists Bob Havery, Daniel Scifo, and Scott Miller; guitarist Henry Church; percussionist Brian Ladden; a rebooted Adult Choir, and a four- to six-piece Jazz Ensemble which he launched with his daughter Rosemary.


Concerts

St. John’s is a magnificent acoustical space which is used as a public concert venue throughout the year. Click or tap here for a list of some of the concerts held at St. John’s since the year 2015.


Choir

October 2023 — Choir Sundays are back at St. John’s!! The adult choir is returning under the direction of organist Robert Havery and soprano soloist Larissa Davidowitz once per month at the 9:30am Sunday service. For more information, or to join the Choir, please call the church office at 203-754-3116.


St. John’s YouTube Music Channel

Click or tap here to enter the YouTube channel.