John McCreary, former longtime organist and choir director of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and Iolani School, was legendary in the annals of Honolulu church music history. Here’s one description of his career as found on the cathedral website:

John McCreary, conductor, composer, arranger, singer. and organ builder, had a brilliant 35 year career at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Honolulu, Hawaii. He delighted island audiences with awe-inspiring performances of major works and outrageously funny arrangements, such as his Variations on Rubber Ducky for organ, orchestra and chorus. Both his serious and humorous works have brought acclaim and awards from island and mainland critics. As an organ builder, McCreary added five E.M. Skinner stops to the large Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Cathedral and, then, built a three manual fourteen-rank theater organ in his home.

If you check the tag cloud on this blog, you will see that I have written about John in an astounding number of posts—53! John died in 2013 leaving behind countless students, colleagues and friends.

Go back and re-read these posts about John’s death:

Celebration John McCreary – the description of his funeral service
Remembering John McCreary – tributes by choristers and colleagues
Sesquipedalian circumlocution – John Alexander’s brilliant eulogy

A few days ago, I accepted a friend request from Mark Dirksen on Facebook. I don’t normally accept friend requests from people I don’t know personally but when I found out we had 40 mutual friends, including upcoming recitalist Katelyn Emerson, I accepted his request.

Today he sent me this message:

Dear Katherine: Greetings! I’m the youngest son of Richard Dirksen, late of the Washington National Cathedral, but you and I have any number of other connections: the Church of the Advent…and Katelyn Emerson to name but two.

Katelyn is married to Dave Brown and they live here in Champaign, Illinois where I was Business Manager for Buzard Pipe Organs.  Dave and Katelyn are our best friends here in town, and we traveled to the Church of the Advent for their wedding…

…because my wife, the Rev. Beth Maynard (Rector here in Champaign) and I are from Boston’s North Shore and consider the Advent our home parish.  So Edith Ho (and Mark Dwyer and Ross Wood, etc etc) are also dear friends of long-standing.  Your tribute to Edith and reminiscence of your relationship was most moving – thank you.  

In 1986 the Rev. Edmond Browning was installed as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church at the National Cathedral. [Ed. Note: Bishop Browning was formerly the Bishop of Hawaii.] Dad was the architect and conductor of the service which was everything one might expect of such an occasion.  Two of John’s pieces were done: his stunning setting of Tu es sacerdos, and his arrangement of the Queen’s Prayer.  The Choir was in great form that day, and the performances are really specular – I hope you enjoy them!

Here’s the link to not only the recording of the music, but also the official program book. It gave me goosebumps to hear the Hawaiian chant in Washington National Cathedral, and of course, hearing “Tu es sacerdos” sung so brilliantly by the Cathedral choir. I told Mark Dirksen that “Tu es sacerdos” was one of my all-time favorite McCreary compositions and that I had played it many times. It means “You are a priest” and is sung at ordinations and installations.

And — in case you’re wondering about Richard Dirksen, the centennial celebration of his birth was held earlier this year. I do remember John McCreary speaking about him, so I know they knew each other. Here’s what I found on Wikipedia:

Richard Wayne Dirksen (February 8, 1921 – July 26, 2003) was an American musician and composer, who served as organist and choirmaster of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., from 1977 to 1988. Previously he was assistant organist and choirmaster from 1942 to 1964. In 1969, Dirksen was named the cathedral’s precentor, giving him administrative oversight of all worship services until his retirement in 1991.

Dirksen composed extensively, mostly choral and organ works, and his music continues to be regularly featured on broadcasts from the Cathedral. His 1974 opus, Vineyard Haven, has been called “widely acclaimed as one of the finest hymn tunes of our day”, by editors of hymnology.

Check out the centennial website here.