St. John's UCC to Host Organist John Finney for Free Concert on Aug. 9
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TROY - St. John's United Church of Christ in Troy will welcome noted organist John Finney for a celebratory concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at the church, 130 S. Walnut St.
Finney will perform some of his favorite organ works, including Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, movements from Léon Boëllmann's Suite Gothique and Charles-Marie Widor's Toccata.
A native of Marshallville, Ohio, Finney began his keyboard studies with the late Esther Scudder in 1963 and studied organ and piano with her until graduating from Smithville High School in 1974. He continued his studies at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree, studying organ with the late David S. Boe and harpsichord with Lisa Goode Crawford. He later earned a Master of Music degree in organ performance from The Boston Conservatory, where he studied with James David Christie.
After maintaining an active career as an organist and conductor in Boston for 45 years, Finney retired in July 2023 and now resides in Fort Myers, Florida.
During his years in the Boston area, Finney served with several organizations over multiple decades. He was director of music at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, for 39 years. He conducted the Heritage Chorale in Framingham for 34 years and worked at Boston College for 30 years, conducting the University Chorale and the Boston College Symphony Orchestra. He also served as associate conductor and chorusmaster of the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston for 24 years.
Finney performed as harpsichordist, organist and conductor at the Blue Hill Bach Festival in Blue Hill, Maine, for 10 years. He also served on the organ faculty of The Boston Conservatory and taught for six years at the Academy for Early Music in Bressanone (Brixen), Italy. He has presented solo recitals throughout the United States and Europe and was a prize winner in several international organ competitions, including the competition in Bruges, Belgium.
St. John's United Church of Christ traces its beginnings to 1840, when it was one of five churches in the village of Troy. The current building was erected and dedicated in 1882-83. A Carnegie organ was installed in 1903, and a new console was built and installed in the 1950s.
After years of use, the organ recently required major upgrades to its windchest mechanism and switching system. The renovation required removal of both the console and the pipes in April 2025 and their relocation to the Lima Pipe Organ workshop in Elida. Following five months of cleaning, reconfiguring and rewiring, all components were returned and reinstalled in the St. John's sanctuary at the end of August 2025.
St. John's is a small church with a modest operating budget. Because of contributions from members, friends, The Troy Foundation, attendees of John Finney's earlier benefit concert, proceeds from rummage sales, Tour de Donut and Holiday Lights volunteering, and sales of no-longer-needed organ pipes, the church was able to complete the renovation without borrowing funds.
Finney has donated his time and talent to celebrate the restoration of the organ. The concert is free and open to the public.
Attendees also will hear several duets performed by Finney and his sister, Ginny Beamish.