Music & Liturgy

Liturgy

Liturgy actually means “work of the people.” How we worship is different from going to a concert or listening to a lecture. We’re there for a purpose: to gather as the body of Christ; to be transformed, even just a little, by our reflection on the Word, prayer and song, and fellowship; and to be sent into the world to serve others.

Our worship is based in Scripture. We follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a scheduled set of Scripture readings developed by a worldwide ecumenical community that cycles through the entire Bible over three years.

Our liturgy and prayers are centered in the Book of Common Prayer, the original and first prayer book in the English language: it too, is centered in the language of the Bible. We also make use of an extensive collection of worship liturgies which explore themes like creation and wisdom more deeply.

While the world follows a calendar driven by school days, sports, and national holidays, we follow a liturgical calendar which marks the great themes of Jesus’ incarnation, His resurrection, and then the “ordinary time” in between. The kinds of prayers we say, the hymns we sing, and the colors reflected in our vestments and decorations, change as we move through the liturgical year.

Many special services punctuate our year such as an Outdoor Mass in summer, a service of light on Epiphany Eve, the Blessing of the Animals on St. Francis Day, or Stations of the Cross every Friday in Lent.

Music

St. John's has a rich musical tradition, led by our music and choir director Scot Crandal, our organist Fred Beal, and enhanced by our wonderful artists in residence.

Larger musical events in recent years have included a Beatles Mass, a Queen Mass, a full production of Jesus Christ Superstar, various concert masses by Mozart, Haydn, and Bach, and an original musical, The Voice of One, a story of St John the Baptist. The annual Sing-along Messiah is also an anticipated community event.

In addition to our traditional services three Sundays a month, we enjoy a contemporary “Rite 3” liturgy on third Sundays at 10:00. This service is a bit family friendlier, and features a signature musical solo, which might be from Leonard Cohen, Black-Eyed Peas, or Beauty and the Beast, accompanied by a small group of instrumentalists from among our parish. We also draw from a variety of resources, including the “classics” in The Hymnal 1982, spirituals from Lift Every Voice and Sing, the folk music of Rise Up and Sing, or Wonder, Love and Praise.

Artists in Residence

Jocelyn Claire Thomas, Soprano

Jocelyn has appeared with Portland Opera, Eugene Opera, Orpheus PDX, Opera Bend, Cascadia Chamber Opera, and Portland Concert Opera, and others too numerous to list. She teaches voice, piano and flute as well.
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Lindsey Rae Johnson, Alto

Lindsey has performed with Portland Opera, Ping & Woof Opera, Renegade Opera, Queer Opera, Portland SummerFest, to name just a few, and around the US and in Europe.
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Michael McDonald, Tenor

Michael has performed with The Resonance Ensemble, Big Mouth Society, and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, including their acapella subgroup, Cascade.
Zachary Lenox, Baritone

Zachary has appeared with Portland Opera, Eugene Opera, Orpheus PDX, Tacoma Opera,Cascadia Chamber Opera, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Portland Concert Opera, and in his signature role as John the Baptist in the musical, The Voice of One.
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Our Choir

Made up of about 25 members, our choir typically sings three Sundays a month, leading in congregational worship and performing a variety of choral pieces, ranging from classical works to spirituals. Trumpeters, flautists, vocalists, percussionists, and other musicians provide additional worship music. Find out about joining our choir here:

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Our Organ

St. John’s has a beautiful Flentrop Organ, which was originally installed in 1972 and has since been updated in 2000, 2017 and in 2022, when our Diocese's only Trompette-en-Chamade (wall trumpets!) were installed. Our instrument is one of the most beautiful of its kind in the entire state.

Scholarship

The Rev. Canon Robert H. Bryant Music Scholarship was established in honor of Fr. Robert’s retirement in February 2023. It is awarded annually, in competition, to a high school student who is a St John's parish member and/or attends Oregon Episcopal School, for use toward their musical education. Each year the current winner of the scholarship will perform at our service at least two Sundays. The 2024 recipient, pictured, is OES senior, Jiaming Zhang.

Coulter Concert Series

This series has brought amazing musical experiences to St. John’s over the years from classical singers to Gospel musicians, from the American Boys’ Choir to a Russian choir, from swinging jazz to Broadway belt, from a fully staged production of Hildegard of Bingen’s 12th century masterpiece Ordo Virtutum to a fully staged production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The Voice of One

The Voice of One is an original musical play about the life of St. John the Baptist. It was written and directed by our former Rector, Robert Bryant; composed by our Music Director, Scot Crandal; and the original cast included our Musical Artists in Residence, as well as members of the choir, congregation, clergy, and students from OES. Learn more here.