John Fair, Organist

About Me

Saying "stop" to a full-time career

I completed my full-time career as a church musician and organist on Christmas Eve, 2016. Fifty years of playing every Sunday morning, mid-week choir rehearsals, and frequent weddings and funerals with few Sundays away were enough! So I decided to continue using my skills, but with the option of saying "No" occasionally and sitting with my wife during a worship service.

I've during my career had a chance to play some interesting organs. They ranged from a one manual tracker organ with a handful of stops to the five manual Hazel Wright Organ at Crystal Cathedral and the magnificent organs at the Cathedral in Toledo, Spain. Their organs were stellar, and the large scale Spanish reeds defied description.

Life Opportunities

This phase of my life has been exciting because it's allowed me to spend time learning new music instead of polishing preludes, offertories, and postludes.

It's also given me a chance to do something I decided many years ago to do. I'm composing a contemporary mass for use in Episcopal and Anglo-Catholic worship. Though it's moving more slowly than I might like, it's progressing and will hopefully be available for review before Christmas.

I've also had a chance to recommend and implement changes to a couple of instruments.

Call me or complete the form on the Contact page of this site if you need a substitute. I'm available for Sunday worship and as a short-term interim should you need my services.

Introduction

You're probably here because you know me, are friends or are looking for a substitute organist. Or you might be someone looking for a consultant to help you make decisions about the design of a new instrument. All of these are well within my core competencies.