Requiescat in Pace
On Thursday, June 19th, at a little after 10 P.M., my friend and colleague Johnny Bradburn passed beyond the veil. He was a marvel of a man, an amazing musician, and quite simply, a spectacular person. It was because of Johnny that I am here at Emmanuel. He served as the organist/choirmaster at Emmanuel from 1996-2010 before suggesting to Fr. John Tampa that he consider bringing a young man from the desert of Arizona to assume the leadership duties required of this parish.
At the time, Johnny and Fr. John had big dreams for Emmanuel. They shared their excitement for what could be at Emmanuel, and because of their vision, I moved across the country. I could never have known how impactful those people would be as my life has unfolded here these past 15 years.
While I will have more to write about Johnny in the coming weeks, for now, I wanted to share with the parish a biography that Johnny composed in 2011 at my request. In many ways he was a humble man and to review the achievements in his life is quite remarkable.
To know him was to love him. Requiescat in pace Johnny.
Johnny Bradburn was born in Sylva, North Carolina and spent his early life in Cullowhee, NC with his mother, a pianist and singer and grandfather, a doctor with a great love for opera. After his mother's death when Mr. Bradburn was quite young, he moved to Marshall to live with his grandmother. She was well versed in shaped-note singing, a tradition that still survives in the NC mountains. During his teen years, his father relocated the family in Brevard, NC. While there, he was actively involved in sports and music, quarterbacking the high school football to a state championship and served as organist at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. While in Brevard, he began his organ studies with Dr. Nelson Adams at Brevard College.
After graduation, he went to Furman for his BA in Music with an organ major. While there he founded the Furman Madrigals. After graduation, he continued his studies in NYC, at Union Theological Seminary, School of Sacred Music. While there, he was accorded the honor of being elected one of two student choirmasters for the weekday services. He studied organ with Alec Wyton at St. John the Divine, occasionally assisting Mr. Wyton at the Cathedral. He studied harpsichord with Eugenia Earle, harpsichordist for many baroque ensembles in NYC. He studied conducting with Thomas Dunn, Conductor of the New York Baroque Orchestra and Chorus who performed the 1st scholarly performance of Messiah this century, and Abraham Kaplan, conductor of the Camarata Singers of Lincoln Center. While at UTS, Mr. Bradburn conducted one of the 1st performances of Bruce Lederhouse's folk mass, "REJOICE." As well, he was a student of Madelyn Marshall in English Diction. During this period Mr. Bradburn served Pascack Reformed Presbyterian Church in Park Ridge New Jersey. After graduation, he took his first full-time position in Worcester, Mass. at Central Congregational Church. While there, he formed a drama group which performed LI'L ABNER, KING AND I, and SWEET CHARITY. The choir sang many major choral works alone and with other churches. While in the Boston area, Mr. Bradburn was the associate conductor with the Handel & Haydn Society, Boston, Mass and the Cecilia Society in Cambridge, Mass. Mr. Bradburn then took a position in Charlotte at 1st Methodist Church. The highlights of these years included a youth choir that traveled 2 weeks in the summer giving concerts up and down the east coast, and a bell choir that did the same. Many larger choral works such as the Brahms Requiem were also performed. Musicals and pop-concerts were also a part of the overall music program. He, along with a number of choir members were integral in the opening discussions which came to fruition concerning 4th Ward in Charlotte. Of particular note was the organization of a bell choir for senior citizens, many with physical issues.
In 1979, Mr. Bradburn moved to Christ United Meth Church in Greensboro, NC. Mr. Bradburn remained at this post until 1995, the year before he came to Emmanuel Parish. While in Greensboro, he oversaw the construction of a music wing for the church and a new organ by C. B. Fisk of Gloucester, Mass. The large choir of 60+ voices presented many major choral works with orchestra including the Verdi Requiem, and J. S. Bach's monumental B Minor Mass. He also, along with other choir members laid the foundations for MUSIC FOR A GREAT SPACE which continues today. Additionally, there were alternate year performances of Benjamin Britten's NOYE'S FLUDDE. All in all, there were sixteen musical organizations forming the backbone of the music program. In 1996, Mr. Bradburn came to Emmanuel Parish. His work at Emmanuel has included taking the youth to many RSCM festivals, performances of GODSPELL both at Emmanuel and for the diocese, many choral works with choir and orchestra, formation of a family bell choir, playing keyboard for a "jazz" group, and a major effort to involve as many parishioners as possible in the making of the church's music. Johnny retired from his fulltime work as organist/choirmaster in 2010. During his ministry, Mr. Bradburn has worked within the communities including Friends Home in Greensboro for 10 years forming a bell choir which was invited to perform for many festivals and many schools. In Southern Pines and Pinehurst, he has performed at Weymouth Center and at Sunrise Theatre.
Mr. Bradburn is married to the former Elisabeth Yancey and has 4 children and 4 grandchildren.