leaderboard1 -

John L. Schaefer celebrates 35 years at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral

December 28, 2011
THE DIAPASON

John L. Schaefer, AAGO, ChM, celebrated his 35th anniversary as organist/director of music of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 1.



Schaefer, who became the Canon Musician in 1989, came to the cathedral in October 1976, having been two years at St. James Episcopal Church in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and, before that, four years at First Congregational Church in Columbus, Ohio.



At the cathedral, he has rebuilt the choral and bell program, has witnessed the installation of a four-manual tracker-action organ by the firm of Gabriel Kney, and has led four choir tours of Great Britain and the continent. He has also established the cathedral as a welcoming venue for many of the arts presenters in Kansas City and the region. He and his wife Leona attend uncountable numbers of concerts and theatre performances each year.



He has been active in the Greater Kansas City AGO chapter as a past dean, past director of the chapter’s Schola Cantorum, and as a member of the committee that will shape the 2018 national convention.