St. John’s Choir News and Information
* A Choir for Boys at St. John’s Church
* Interim Organist & Choirmaster Appointed (Dr. Jonathan Murphy)
To view past recordings of St. John’s Choir, you may visit our Music at St. John’s Youtube Channel.
A Choir for Boys at St. John’s Church
We are excited to announce the refounding of the St John’s Boys Choir under the direction of Kristi Bryson and the St John’s music team. St John’s Church has a long tradition of musical excellence in Savannah and we aim to bring the boys of our city the joy of choral singing at a high level: singing the best repertoire of the Anglican tradition with the benefit of professional vocal training. The Boys Choir will build on the medieval tradition of men and boys choirs where boys sang the treble line, the highest part in the choir. Our choir will learn the ancient service of evensong, a short service at sunset of choral music and prayer. The musical, personal, and spiritual growth they receive in choral singing will be a gift that lasts throughout their lives.
The choir welcomes boys from the parish and from the broader community. Interested boys and their families need no other qualifications than an interest in music and a willingness to commit to regular rehearsals. Prospective choristers should be at least 7 years of age.
The choir will meet once a week to rehearse and will perform once per term at evensong, typically on Sunday evenings. Placement tests will be held the week of November 27. Interested families should write to Kristi Bryson at kristi.richardson.bryson@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
A bit about the Director of the Boys Choir:
Kristi Bryson has trained many young singers, including her sons Matthew and Henry, who sang and toured with the Toelzer Boys Choir of Munich, Germany. As well as teaching and conducting, Kristi is a professional soprano and graduated from the Royal College of Music in London with a master of music in vocal performance. She is an accomplished performer in both opera and sacred music and has performed with leading ensembles in Europe and North America, including the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, I Fagiolini, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the London Philharmonia Chorus, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Vokalkapelle der Theatinerkirche. Kristi studied conducting with Grammy award-winning composer and conductor, Paul Halley at the University of King’s College, where she was organ scholar and choral scholar, and was assistant organist at St Paul’s Anglican in Halifax, Canada.
Interim Organist-Choirmaster Appointed
Senior Warden John Bradshaw and Vestry Music Committee chairman Stacy Jennings have announced the appointment of Jonathan Murphy as Interim Organist-Choirmaster for St. John’s after Mr. Branyon’s retirement later this month, and until a new permanent appointment is made. Mr. Murphy is a tenor, and holds a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music (Performance) from Georgia Southern University and the University of Tennessee, respectively, as well as a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. Mr. Murphy is on the Faculty of the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music at Georgia Southern University, where he is Lecturer in Voice, Opera and Collaborative Piano, and Musical Director and Conductor of Georgia Southern Opera. He is also active in the region as a vocal coach, and has served as organist and director of music for a number of churches. This year he plans to continue teaching at Georgia Southern Statesboro, and will commute to Savannah on Wednesday evenings and weekends for his duties at St. John’s, with Mrs. Paul Fisher (Angela) continuing to provide support as Assistant Organist. We are very pleased to have someone of Jonathan’s qualifications and experience take responsibility for the music of worship at St. John’s, and encourage you all to welcome him warmly.
