God calls us to create the joyful sound of music as we worship. We read in Psalm 57: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul, Awake, harp and lyre. I will awaken the dawn, I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let you glory be over all the earth.”
And in Ephesians 5: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns an spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father and everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We offer a variety of music in worship and other events. Our newly rebuilt organ, the voices of our choirs, and the ringing of the bells fill our sanctuary with marvelous sounds in praise to God.
Thomas Carlyle called music “the speech of angels:” Tolstoy said
it was ” the shorthand of emotion.” Longfellow labeled it the
“universal language of mankind.”
Call it what you prefer, but at St. John’s music magnifies the
presence of the Holy Spirit during worship, helping us to
celebrate and appreciate God’s love as individuals and
collectively as a congregation.
At 9:00 am, our choir performs a variety of choral works, hymns
that reflect the scripture readings of the season and occasional
sacred anthems, providing the essence of our high worship
service.
If you want to sway or tap your feet a little more, then try the
sound of music at our 11:30 service. It’s different than what you
hear at our earlier services. The voices are backed by the music
of piano, drums, guitars and flute. It has more of a contemporary
flair, but without sacrificing the integrity of the liturgy.
There are 16 singers and musicians currently serving at this
service, and there is room for more.
The Celebration Singers currently rehearse on Thursdays at 6:30
pm.
Music is one of the great traditions at St. John’s. We not only
offer a great variety of musical talent in worship. We also host
a variety of concerts in our Sanctuary throughout the year. Check
our calendar to see what’s coming up.
Interested in using our Sanctuary for your next concert or
recital? Check out our building use
policy online or contact the church office for more
information.
The Refuge, our all-ages music venue at St. John’s, was host to
an amazing project last summer.
Music promoter Jerry Perry and filmmaker Jim Bailey partnered
with The Refuge team, including St. John’s sound men Philip
Howard and Anthony Swanson, to produce programs showcasing the
talent of these young people on Access Sacramento.
They taped performances in Goethe Hall in order to produce 12
shows, which are now edited and beginning to air.
You can find them on Comcast Channel 17, Surewest Channel 17, and
U-verse Channel 99.
In 1894, St. John’s first organ was built and installed in the
sanctuary, then located at 12th and K Streets, by Felix F.
Schoenstein of San Francisco, utilizing his tubular pneumatic
system.
On October 6, 1912, a newly built sanctuary at 17th and L Streets
was dedicated. Included in the new worship space was a Murray
Harris pipe organ with 18 ranks of about 1,100 pipes. It was
beautifully voiced by a local theatre organ company.
