The musicians of St John’s Episcopal Church, Dallas, music ministry strive to glorify the Triune God as revealed in Holy Scripture, so that His people might be edified through music. With nearly 70 years’ tradition of sacred music, St John’s music ministry continues to learn, promote, and offer the highest quality liturgical and sacred music. Concerts and other special events are musical features of this music ministry. If you wish to participate through playing an instrument or singing, contact Benjamin Kolodziej, Organist and Choirmaster (bkolodziej@stjohnsepiscopal.org).

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

This famous Christian hymn is also one of the oldest, being almost 1,600 years since the text was written by a Spanish monk, Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, circa 400 AD.  The Roman Empire was in decline—the city itself would be ransacked by marauding Vikings ten years later, with the last emperor lasting until 476.  The Church, […]

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O Come, All Ye Faithful

For many years, this hymn text, and possibly even tune, were attributed to the medieval era. In fact, simply looking at the manuscript below, one of the original for this carol (called the “Jacobite Manuscript”), one can understand why early hymnologists would think this carol is of medieval origin: Yet, notice there are five lines […]

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Creator of the Stars of Night

The text and tune come from the plainchant tradition of the Middle Ages. As such, of course, there is no recognized author or composer. Church music was not the domain of a human creator, it was believed, but was the creation of God, and a gift to the Church. The Latin text finds itself fairly […]

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Once in Royal David’s City

Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) has the distinction of being one of the few women hymn writers  before the twentieth century. There certainly were some women hymn writers (one thinks of Elizabeth Cruciger from the Reformation Era), but they stand out because they were relatively few. By the Victorian Era, women were making a significant contribution […]

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