We are delighted to welcome two new faces to the music program – both of whom will be with us through the end of the current season. Many people have already met and heard Margaret-Mary Owens. Margaret is a graduate of Florida State University, and is currently in the midst of auditions for a post-grad place at three of the country’s finest music conservatories. She has played some challenging organ repertoire to a high standard over the weeks that she has been with us.

James Hendy has, quite literally, just arrived from the UK. James hails from Plymouth in south-west England, and was a student at Canford School, one of the UK’s top public, (as they’re known there, but private here!) schools. He is taking what is commonly known as a “gap year” between school and university, and is hoping to win an organ scholarship to one of the Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) colleges. Please take time to make both Margaret and James feel welcome.

We are, of course, now in the season of Lent. There are many ways in which we mark this season liturgically – the crosses are veiled, we omit Alleluias, and the vestments are purple. The tone of the music changes too. Some of the greatest hymns and anthems, in their often minor keys, were written for this season. In marking Lent musically, some churches, especially those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, suppress the use of the organ almost entirely, and all of the hymns and service music are sung unaccompanied. Here at St. John’s, we have not gone quite that far, but we have, for the past two years, ceased from playing postludes at the end of the services. In adopting this practice once again this year, it is our hope to encourage a reflective end to our services, and that the impact of the organ voluntary will be all the more meaningful when it returns at the Great Vigil of Easter.

Simon Morley

The first phase of repairs under the Preserve Our Heritage Campaign is moving along quickly and nearing completion.  Under this phase, we are repairing the “Building Envelope” and its focus is restoring the exterior of buildings where cracks have developed that allow water and moisture in to the buildings.  As of the end of February, Western Specialty Contractors reported these completion rates.

Some of the most significant results from the this phase is restoring the wooden frames around our stained glass windows.  The paint and caulking had deteriorated and the wood was stripped back to bare wood, sanded, re-caulked and repainted – providing much better aesthetic appeal and adding years of life to the windows we enjoy so much. Please see the pictures above for an illustration.

Next week, efforts will be focused on installing a layer of insulation beneath the wooden floor of the church.  This will help us retain the conditioned air inside the church and prevent humid air from seeping in.  Engineers have promised better performance from our HVAC system and a significant reduction in moisture in the church.

These two projects – the building envelope repairs and the insulation installation – are just two parts of our multi-faceted campaign to repair and improve our beautiful buildings.  We are also planning these projects as well:

If you haven’t yet contributed to the Campaign, please prayerfully consider a gift because we need your help.  Contributions to the Campaign should be made to St. John’s Church, and please note “Preserve Our Heritage” on the check.

Pastoral Care Spring Fling