Music
History
The Organ
The church has had six organs. Early ones were pumped by hand, and one was activated by a water-powered motor. The present organ is an 18-rank mechanical (tracker) action organ built by the Walter Holtkamp Co., in Cleveland, Ohio. It was as installed in 1979.
Original Church Bell
The original church bell was donated to the Confederacy during the Civil War.
The Choir
The first vested choir sang at the Christmas service in 1903. A temporary extension of the chancel into the nave was provided to accommodate the choir. The vested choir was made permanent in 1904, but the present chancel did not come into being until 1913 when additional space was created for the organ chamber and the choir. Before this change, the choir sang from the balcony. The organ and the choir were restored to their original locations in the balcony in 1979.
The Organ
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The Holtkamp Organ was installed in the balcony at St. John's in 1979. |
The organ consists of two manual keyboards and a pedal keyboard. It has electric combination action with pistons activated by a setter board. The pipes, made of metal and wood and numbering over 1,500, are encased in a handsome Honduras mahogany framework directly behind the organ console.
Visit "het ORGEL," an internet magazine of Dutch origin. The site contains summaries in English of articles published in the magazine, a survey of which Festival is happening where in Europe, and an extensive collection of links to other interesting organ sites throughout the world. It even has a link to St. John's, Fayetteville!
The Junior and Senior Choirs
The St. John's Junior and Senior Choirs contribute greatly to the spiritual experience. The senior choir, under the inspired direction of Organist/Choirmaster Patrick O'Briant, rehearses Sundays at 9 a.m. for the 10:30 a.m. service. The junior choirs practice on Wednesday afternoons at 5 during the school year and perform at special services throughout the year.
The Handbell Choir
 The Handbell Choir adds to the magic of the music at St. John's. Members rehearse on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. except during the summer months. |
The Choirmaster
Patrick Murphy O'Briant accepted the position of organist/ choirmaster for St. John's Episcopal Church, effective January 1, 1996. Pat was the organist/choirmaster at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church from 1988 to 1996. Before that, he served as organist/choir director at North Hill United Methodist Church in Akron, Ohio, with responsibility for vocal and bell choirs. He served as tenor soloist and assistant organist at St. John's in Fayetteville from 1975 to 1982 and also served as organist/tenor soloist at Hay Street United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, and Hope Mills United Methodist Church, Hope Mills.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Methodist College, Fayetteville, and Master of Music (piano) and Master of Music (voice) from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. He has studied voice under Alan Porter, Dorothy Russell, and Dr. Mary G. Schiller. He has studied piano under Barbara Lambert, Jean Ishee, Marian J. Lott, Pat Pace, and Donna Geller. He has studied organ under Jean Ishee and Barbara MacGregor.
His list of performing arts includes oratorios, chorales, children's concert tours, theatre, operas, and recitals. His full time profession is as a K-2 teacher with the Cumberland County Schools.
We are blessed to have him share his musical gifts with us each week!
