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2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 845-6830
office@stjohns.presbychurch.net
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The Organ
Accompaniment for congregational singing is our organ or piano, and sometimes with additional musicians. This ministry provides opportunities for soloists, groups, members and non-members, to present special music to the congregation. We encourage musicians to play or sing during Sunday services, special events, or with the choir. These presentations are arranged through our music director.
Karla Lemon, Director of Music, and church organist Leon Chilshom play for most worship services at 10.00 a.m. The chancel choir sings regularly, and several times a year Charles Lee, an elder in the church and an accomplished pianist, stirs the congregation with moving piano solos. Lee also leads the Handbell Choir.
See below for examples of music enjoyed in worship and brief commentaries on some of the composers of this music,
click here.
Join us to sing and ring!
Other musical events
In addition, St. John's is filled with music on days and evenings other than Sundays. For a schedule of other musical events at St. John's, click here.
Photo by Mark Coplan
Chancel Choir
Each week our choir brings outstanding music to us. Our Chancel Choir is made up of members of the congregation and a paid section leader for each section (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). The Choir sings approximately three times a month in worship services and sings two presentations each year (Christmas and Easter). The Choir s a great place to meet people who share a passion for making music.
Rehearsals are Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9 p.m., in Room 207 and at 9:00 a.m. before Sunday’s worship. No audition is required to join.
Handbells
A handbell ensemble plays occasionally for the Sunday Service and for special occasions. If you are interested in playing handbells, even as a learner, contact handbell director Charles Lee.
Rehearsals are Sundays 11:30-1:30 p.m., in Room 207.
Prelude A Fancie for my ladye nevell by William Byrd (1543–1623)
Bliss divided the middle of his career between London and California, where he taught at Berkeley during 1939–1941. He returned to England to become director of music at the BBC, was knighted by George VI in 1950, and became Master of the Queen’s Music in 1953.
Prelude Sonata in B-flat by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788)
Allegro / Arioso / Allegro
Postlude Sonata in g: Allegro moderato by C. P. E. Bach
Toccata and Fugue in d ("Dorian") by J. S. Bach.
Bach’s Dorian toccata is a dialogue between the basic full organ sounds of the two manuals, showing how they complement one another although differing in weight and brightness. The long fugue that follows, while not one of his virtuoso showpieces, is one of his most sonorous and musically compelling.
Prelude Chorale preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Postlude Toccata and Fugue in d ("Dorian") by J. S. Bach
Anthem: Psalm 23 by Roy Hamlin Johnson (b.1929).
Roy Johnson is retired from the piano and composition faculty at the University of Maryland in College Park. He wrote the anthem we hear today in 1999 for the choir of the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Hyattsville MD, near his home; the soprano solo part was intended for his wife Jan.
Prelude Anchor che co’l partire by Andrea Gabrieli (c.1515–1586)
Canzon Francese & Ricercar "Orsus au coup"
Postlude Ricercar on the 4th tone by A. Gabrieli
Anthem: If ye love me by Thomas Tallis (c.1505–1585)
Tallis, raised a Catholic, responded faithfully when asked to write music for the reformed Church of England. Today we hear his elegant response to demands that the words be easy to understand in choral music. He begins by presenting the text in simple chords, then introduces flowing but completely lucid polyphony. This work was originally written for four-part men’s choir, singing at a slightly lower pitch.
Prelude Selected short preludes, opus 51 by Carl Nielsen (1865–1931)
Postlude Two short preludes, opus 51 by Carl Nielsen
Anthem: I will lift up mine eyes by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968)
Sowerby was organist/choirmaster at St James’ Episcopal Church, and professor of organ and composition at the American Conservatory, both in Chicago, from the 1920s until his retirement in the early 1960s. He then moved to Washington DC where he founded, and until his death directed, the College of Church Musicians at the Washington Cathedral. He is one of the dominant figures in American organ and choral music in the 20th century. The anthem that we hear today, published when he was 25, makes dramatic use of both the alto soloist and the alto section, in a rich context of impressionistic harmony.
Prelude Capriccio in D by Georg Böhm (1661-1733)
Variations on "Praised be Thou, Jesus Christ"
Postlude Prelude & Fugue in a by Georg Böhm
Welcome ___ Worship___ Calendar___ History
Tour Campus: Schedule Events, Meetings, Weddings ___ SiteMap___ Contact Us
"Seek peace, and pursue it."
- Psalm 34:14
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