ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER,
Ralph Valentine
ST. JOHN'S YOUTH CHOIR
Jane Penfield, Director
The chancel is quite full on most Sunday mornings with twenty-five adults and close to twenty members of the youth choir negotiating for an available seat. '
ADULT CHOIR
The Adult Choir augment their normal Sunday morning appearances by singing at the Good Friday service at St. James, as well as at an Evensong at Christ Church, New Haven, and at Diocesan Evensong. All of our singers wear the beautiful choir medallions, designed by parishioner Dick Krissinger, and dress with liturgically appropriate colored ribbons.
The hardworking members of the Adult Choir deserve special recognition and sincere appreciation for all of their musical teamwork, generosity of spirit, and commitment to providing excellent music for all of our worship services. St. John's is indeed fortunate to have so many talented and generous individuals in its choirs!
YOUTH CHOIR
Jane Penfield is impressive with her skill and dedication in developing and sustaining an outstanding musical program for the youth of the parish. It's not the performance where the real magic happens. It's the rehearsals. Every Sunday morning the congregation hears the fruits of the Youth Choir’s labor, but - surprise - the Youth Choir has a steadily growing following of parents, adult singers, and various other aficionados who come to listen to the Wednesday evening rehearsals. This, indeed, is where the real fun is. This is the hour in which great discoveries are made, ideas swirl, musicianship blooms, and something new is always learned.
Now numbering 20 singers, the Youth Choir sings great music of the church from several centuries, in French, German, Italian, Polish, Hebrew, Spanish, and even English. They sing solos, they sing in two parts. Sometimes three. They sing with the adult choir, with guest tenor soloists, with residents of the Hughes Home, with the Trilarus Trio, with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. In the spring they present John Rutter's Mass of the Children, together with the Adult Choir and professional orchestra in concert.
No previous choral experience is necessary. Every member has an infectious level of enthusiasm, which is their own best recruiting tool, and a healthy level of talent, backed up with the most important quality of all - persistence.
PIPE ORGAN Link to Organ Page
Our Austin pipe organ provides virtually trouble-free service to the parish, truly a remarkable show that is a reflection of the meticulous attention it received by its builders. The Rodgers slave console in the east transept functions beautifully and provides wonderful flexibility for accompanying both choirs when either one moved out to the chancel steps or elsewhere in the nave.
