NEW Director of Sacred Music!

 

NEW DIRECTOR OF SACRED MUSIC
and
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHER

Dear parishioners of Saint John's,

I am so thrilled to share with you some VERY GOOD NEWS!  After an extensive search, numerous interviews, and a lengthy discernment process, we have a new Director of Sacred Music!  Abraham (Abe) Leach has accepted the position and will start with us the weekend of November 1st, 2025!!  He will also be teaching in our school as our Elementary School Music Teacher two days a week!

Abe has extensive education and experience both in teaching and leading Church music.  He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Music Education, and has been involved in Church music for over two decades.  He is a terrific organist with a great voice.  Originally from Wisconsin, he and his family (wife and son) want to move back to the area to be closer to family.  He came on-site and visited our campus and choir members 3 weeks ago, and we all very much enjoyed his visit.

A wonderful way to welcome Abe to the parish would be to donate to our new Guild of Sacred Music program, which he will be overseeing!  This program, as you know, supports the following efforts every year:

  • Liturgical musicians for Rorate Caeli Mass, First Communion, Christmas, Easter, etc.

  • Regular tuning and maintenance for the newly-restored organ and pianos throughout the building, used for rehearsal and concerts

  • Choral sheet music, especially from modern composers of sacred music

  • Missals and/or future hymnals

  • Copyright compliance

  • A robust sacred music concert series, including: 

    • 8/3/25 (2 pm) Summer Sacred Music Concert featuring the SJB Choir

    • 10/12/25 (2 pm) Organ recital featuring Mr. Brian Carson, Dr. Sam Backman, and Mrs. Cathy Rodland

    • 12/24/25 (9:30 pm) Motets and Carols featuring the SJB Choir

    • 3/15 (2 pm) Pergolesi Stabat Mater Concert for Laetare Sunday

    • 4/1 (7 pm) Tenebrae Service

    • More offerings if funded!

In Christ,

Father Neil Bakker
Pastor - Saint John the Baptist in Jordan

ABRAHAM LEACH BIO

Abe Leach, a native of Beloit Wisconsin, comes to us having most recently served as the parish music director at St. John the Evangelist in Oxford Ms. This is the parish that serves the University of Mississippi. Abe is looking forward to serving here and getting to know folks. He has a particular interest in teaching children and adults, as such he will be joining the faculty at the school as well as serving the parish as Director of Sacred Music. Abe has been teaching and serving professionally in sacred music since the age of 12, nearly 30 years. He will be accompanied by his wife Anna, a secondary science teacher, and his precocious six-year-old son William who loves music!
 
Abe has a keen interest in the development of sacred music liturgies, the renewal of liturgy and sacred music, and the training of choirs of all ages. He is deeply committed to the teachings of the Catholic Church and the implementation of its teachings on sacred music. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education, a Master of Music Education, and a Specialist Degree in Education Administration. He has recently done graduate study at St Patrick’s Seminary, in Menlo Park, and St Meinrad in the area sacred music and liturgy. Additionally, Mr. Leach has completed three years of graduate study at ‘Ole Miss’ in music education. While there, his area of research was focused on the pre-English Reformation rite, called the Sarum Rite, and its intersectionality with the music of Thomas Tallis. He has also twice studied at the University of Oxford in the UK. As an undergraduate, he read church music history, studied voice and organ, and was a choral intern at New College under Dr. Higginbottom. Later as a graduate student he participated in summer study on choral conducting that was jointly hosted by St. Stephan’s house Oxford and Westminster Choir College. These and other experiences provide Abe a diverse and strongly Anglo-Catholic approach to liturgy.
 
Abe is excited to come to St. John the Baptist and is particularly interested to meet parishioners and develop strong lasting relationships. He deeply appreciates the robust commitment that has been made here to education and the development of a sacred music program dedicated to ‘best practices’. In his spare time Abe cooks, gardens, and enjoys learning. Lastly, Abe will be available to teach piano, voice, organ, and music theory/composition for private lessons, and is always willing to come speak to church groups about sacred music and church teachings on liturgy. He understands that the Catholic church calls on all the faithful to utilize music in their spiritual life to the best of their ability; this comes with an imperative for all the faithful to develop their voices, learn to read music, develop a basic understanding of Latin, and to fully prepare and participate in the liturgy. Abe will often sign off using the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria” -only God’s glory- this is our primary calling, together,  as  apart of the His creation, to offer thanks and praise to God. St. Agustine reminds us , “Cantare amantis est” -He who love [God] sings!

 
Father Neil Bakker