A NEW CHALLENGE FOR ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH -- REPLACING ORGANIST WALT SAYRE!
St. John's Episcopal Church, the little brown church on the corner of Westminster and Elm streets in Walpole, has met and overcome many challenges in the past few years, but right now it is facing a loss that hits every parishioner very hard -- the departure of Walt Sayre, our organist and choir director for almost 18 years!
Walt's phenomenal musical talent is known well beyond the church -- in addition to his work at St. John's he is the band director at the Walpole Middle School, chorus director at Fall Mountain Regional High School, a member of the Bob Cunniff Orchestra, vocalist in the Cheshire Men's Male Chorus, and this winter directed the hilarious musical, Nunsense Two, at the high school.
Walt has found an organist to play on Sundays for this summer, Colby Baker, who is one of Walt's students with a special talent for the organ. Though Colby is still in high school, Walt, who began his professional career at age fifteen playing piano at a nightclub on the Jersey shore, knows Colby is up to the job. Beyond summer, however, St. John's challenge awaits.
An organist search committee has been formed by St. John's. They are looking for a musician who can play their Allen double keyboard, 32 pedal electronic organ and who can devote about two and a half to three hours each Sunday for choir rehearsal and the service. Walt says it's a good job and wishes St. John's good luck.