Music at St. John's

Music is an integral part of the life at St. John's Lutheran Church. Several groups perform throughout the year, including the adult choir, children's choir, handbell choir, and regular guest instrumentalists are invited for special worship services.

Jacob Eckhard began as the first organist and choirmaster soon after the church was constructed. A Thomas Hall pipe organ was installed in 1823 in the current church and the case for that instrument still fronts the current Shantz instrument which includes a trompettte en chamade (specifications listed below).

A nineteen-bell carillon that may be played from the organ console was placed in the steeple in 1992. The carillon strikes the hours and automatically plays hymn melodies on a regular schedule. The organist also plays additional hymns and melodies for special occasions such as weddings or special community events.

The church is understandably proud of its choir which enriches the 11:00 a.m. service regularly, often with the addition of guest instrumentalists. The choir practices every Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall with a dinner and fellowship at 5:30 p.m. (see calendar). The Children's Chancel and Hand-Bell choirs also are used from time to time to further complement the traditional services of the church. A grand piano was added to the church gallery in 2001 to provide more flexibility in the musical programs.

St. John's is proud to participate in the Spoleto Organ recital series with a number of public performances conducted each year in the sanctuary. The rich acoustics of the building provide an almost mystical performance space for both choral and organ recitals. The church's Arts Council also sponsors a variety of other concerts through the year to enrich the musical heritage of the city, as well as music programs for and from the congregation, including dinner and music evening quarterly featuring music of the season.