Welcome to St John’s of Lattingtown and to our music ministry. Our ministry of music is at the heart of our parish, and we offer our music in service to the glory of God where it transforms worship and enriches our community. We also celebrate our distinctive Anglican musical heritage, through which many people find the deepest expression of their faith. Our Parish Choir sings at the 10:30AM Choral Liturgy on Sunday mornings, as well as at special liturgies, including the Christmas and Lent Lessons and Carols, the Triduum Liturgies during Holy Week, and the Solemn Requiem on All Souls. Our Evensong Choir offer Evensong seasonally as well as Compline weekly during the summer months. Twice a year, our choirs perform in concerts accompanied by professional orchestra and guest soloists.
For more information about any of the St. John’s Choir or concerts, where to buy tickets, or how to support the Music Program, please contact Ruaraidh Sutherland, (516) 671-3226 ext. 12 or music@stjlat.org
Music at St. John's
St. John's Choir
The Choir of St. John’s of Lattingtown provides outstanding music opportunities for children in the North Shore area. Young singers who participate are not only exposed to the greatest sacred classical music of the past 500 years but trained vocally and in music theory by professional musicians, learning musical skills, making new friends, and developing crucial life skills.
St. John’s Choir sings on Sundays during term-time for the 10:30AM Choral Liturgy, and at special concerts and events throughout the year, such as Handel’s Messiah in December. The choir is unique on Long Island in having boys and girls (grades 3 to 8) singing the soprano line with professional, student and amateur singers providing the lower parts. The choir sings a wide range of music from the treasury of Anglican repertoire regularly at the Sunday services of Eucharist and Morning Prayer, with concerts and other special events also offered throughout the year. Children are trained by professional musicians and learn musical skills (such as reading music at sight), make lifelong friends, and develop crucial life skills. Children also receive a small stipend. The syllabus is based on the Royal School of Church Music’s Voice for Life curriculum.
Joining the Choir
Parents of children with enthusiasm for music, or adult altos, tenors, and basses with prior choral experience, are invited to call or email the Director of Music for further information about joining the choir: (516) 671-3226 ext. 12 or music@stjlat.org
Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum, of professional and skilled voluntary adult singers from the Island and further afield, sings Evensong in the beautiful surroundings of St. John’s. Drawing on the rich well of Anglican music, repertoire is based around the forces available for each service and is sent out beforehand for practice at home. Rehearsal is held on the day from around 1:30PM for Evensong and for 60 minutes prior to Compline.
We always welcome new members who enjoy singing Evensong and/or Compline to join the choir! For further information about joining this important ministry, please contact Ruaraidh F. Sutherland, Organist and Director of Music Ministry- music@stjlat.org
Choral Scholarships
The Choral Scholarship Program was founded by then-Director of Music Ministry Christopher Brayne in 2017 to offer talented students in high school or higher education experience in singing sacred choral music to a high level. Further information is available here.
Festival Choir
St. John’s has a long tradition, going back to long-serving Organist Eric Milnes, of offering the great masterworks of the western canon in concert. Under the direction of Director of Music, Ruaraidh Sutherland, the St. John’s Festival Choir is a new community chorus of volunteer adults from the North Shore who join with our Parish Choir each season to present two concerts; Handel’s Messiah annually in December, and a performance in March (2026: Mozart’s Requiem). The Festival Choir is a seasonal commitment, meeting on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30PM for the eight weeks prior to performances.
Concerts & Special Events
2026 Special Events
REQUIEM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | March 15 at 3PM
(click here for flier)
MESSIAH (Part I)
George Freiderick Handel | December 13 at 3PM
Evensong
The service of Evensong (or sung Evening Prayer) is drawn almost entirely from the Bible: Psalms, lessons from the Old and New Testaments, and Canticles (songs of praise from the Scriptures). Music is an integral part of this service, and the choirs offer sung prayers to God on behalf of the people of God. Free and open to the public. A casual reception follows each service in the medieval-inspired Parish Hall.
2026 - 2027 Evensong Schedule
(services are held at 4 pm):
Sunday, April 19
Saturday, June 6
Sunday, October 18 – for St. Luke’s Day
Sunday, January 10
Sunday, April 11
Saturday, June 5
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For more information, please contact Ruaraidh Sutherland, (516) 671-3226 ext. 12 or music@stjlat.org
Music Staff
Organist & Director of Music Ministry
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Ruaraidh Sutherland is an experienced choirmaster with sixteen years of professional experience, from leading beginners to seasoned professionals. He previously worked at Christ Church in Rye, NY as organist and choirmaster, raising the quality of the choir to inspire and lead the congregation in worship. Ruaraidh has experience directing traditional Episcopal music program, growing various choirs in both discipleship and musicianship, and leading large, innovative fundraising events (fundraising events included Cabaret evenings, a sponsored Hymnathon, and a chili cook-off followed by a silent movie).
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Highlights of his tenure included visits by Katherine Dienes-Williams to work with the choir, and in 2018 leading a choir tour of the UK where they drew praise for the quality of their tone.
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In addition, Ruaraidh is an experienced organist, both in church and concert hall (although nothing thrills quite as much as accompanying a psalm or leading rousing hymn singing!) and has developed further classroom and pastoral skills while working in the UK Public School sector.
The Organ
The current organ was installed and designed by Sebastian Gluck, a New York based organ builder, in 2014. It consists of 20 ranks over 2 pedals. Further details can be found in the following article written by Sebastian Gluck and Eric Milnes in the cover feature in The Diapason Magazine in September 2014.
An excerpt from the article: "The remarkable oak casework was carved by William and Alexander Clow of Edinburgh to the designs of Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, and was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Pierpont Morgan. The Clow brothers had completed the carved figures in the Chapel of the Knights of the Order of the Thistle at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, in 1911 and were a perfect team to work on a small summer church of this stature. The organ case was part of a much larger decorative program by Sir Robert and financed by Morgan; the entirety of St. John’s is pavé with exuberant carving in this style."
Come & Sing Evensong
‘Come & Sing Evensong’ In A Day
St. John’s of Lattingtown will host a ‘Come & Sing Evensong’ on Saturday, June 6. The Music Director is Katherine Dienes-Williams, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral, United Kingdom, accompanied by Ruaraidh Sutherland, organist of St. John’s. The day will conclude with a service of Choral Evensong at 4 p.m., led by The Rev’d Molly Jane Layton, Priest in Charge of St. John’s.
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Registration is open to all teenage and adult singers, and you are encouraged to complete the registration form electronically using Google Forms (button below)
Schedule for the day will be:​
9:30AM Registration
10:00AM Sing
11:15AM Break
11:30AM Sing
12:30PM Lunch (provided)
1:45PM Sing
3:00PM Break
3:15PM Sing
4:00PM Evensong
A fee of $25 per participant will be collected on the day.
Music for the day is listed below and will be provided.
Introit: Whoso hath this world’s goods – Alice Mary Smith
Preces & Responses – Thomas Tomkins
Psalm 8 – chant by William Hayes
Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A – C. V. Stanford
Anthem: Ascribe unto the Lord – S. S. Wesley
Choristers are encouraged to bring their own vestments, should they have them.
Please bring black shoes for use during the service.
Parking options are available on Lattingtown Road, opposite the church.
You can read about Katherine Dienes-Williams here