Music at St John’s & Our Organ

We believe that music is a vital aspect of the church experience.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

Music at St John the Divine

At St. John’s, we joyfully welcome you to worship God through song, regardless of your musical ability. Whether you sing confidently or follow along, your voice is a valued part of our worship.

Our primary instruments are the organ and our voices. The organ provides a rich musical backdrop, preparing our hearts and minds for prayer while leading us in hymns and psalms throughout the service.

We don’t use a praise band—not because we don’t love music, but because our traditional style of worship is best complemented by the timeless beauty of the organ and congregational singing.

Our Musical Past: The 1924 Wangerin Organ

1928 St. John’s acquired a 1924 Wangerin pipe organ (Opus 421) from the Crystal Theater in Burlington. To accommodate the instrument, the church constructed an organ loft.

The Wangerin featured two manuals (keyboards) and four sets of pipes (ranks):

• Stopped Flute: 16′ – 2′
• Diapason: 8′ – 4′
• Viol d’ Orchestra: 8′ – 4′
• Vox Humana: 8′
• A metal bar harp

The organ featured approximately 26 stop keys, including one for tremolo. Due to the organ’s size and unification, it did not include couplers. 

The organ came in a theater organ style, with the solo (great) manual positioned on top—where a traditional swell division would be—while the lower manual served as the accompaniment division.

The key difference between the two keyboards was that the solo manual included a 16′ flute and a 2 2/3′ stop, which the accompaniment manual lacked.

The Wangerin organ served St. John’s faithfully for many years, but its limitations became apparent over time.

By the early 2000s, the church considered expanding the organ using its vintage pipework. However, after much discussion, some organ committee members felt the process took too long. Ultimately, St. John’s decided to move in a new direction, acquiring our current Allen Organ, which operates without pipes.

Our current organ

In 2004, St. John’s acquired a new Allen AP-40 organ to supplement the Wangerin. However, the Wangerin never integrated into the instrument due to a misunderstanding. Fortunately, Allen alone meets our musical needs.

Our Allen Organ enriches our worship with its beautiful and versatile range of voices. From soft, lush tones to bold, fanfare-style trumpets, this instrument brings depth and expression to our music.

With the Allen, St. John the Divine enjoys a greater variety of music in worship, offering everything from traditional hymns to reflective pieces featuring clarinet and flute stops, as well as vibrant, joyful melodies led by the grand trumpet.

Our current organist

Kevin P. Monteith is our organist and has provided us with music since 1995.

AP-40 Allen’s stop list (2004)

Here are the various tonal options for our Allen organ.

Other Musical Instruments: Our Piano

In addition to the organ, the Stevenson family donated a piano to the church in 2000. We have used the piano for many years to lead our 10 a.m. service, but it now serves a secondary role.