John Bate has been the Organist and Director of Music at St. Peter's United Methodist Church since 1987. John oversees a music program of four choirs and four handbell choirs. He is the conductor of the St. Peter's Choir (33 paid and volunteer singers) as well as the Boys and Girls Choir, the Youth Ensemble and the Adult Handbell Choir.

During his tenure, he has overseen the refurbishing and renovation of the church organ and established the Esther C. and Paul H. Weil Endowment Fund. He began a summer concert series ("Night Soundings") featuring local as well as guest artists. John also teaches short-term classes in conjunction with the church school that have included Hymnology, Psalmody and Church Music History.

In 2000 he began an artist-in-residence program that includes a brass quartet as well as the South Jersey Youth Opera Ensemble and a composer-in-residence program. In the fall of 2005, the St. Peter's Choir produced their first professional CD, "Sweet Singing in the Choir". John is also the Musical Director and Conductor of the Ocean City Masterworks Choir. This community choir of 60 voices presents two concerts annually with orchestra.

John Bate holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. His organ teachers have included Joan Lippencott, Eugene Roan and McNeil Robinson. His conducting teachers have included Andrew McGill and Joseph Flummerfelt. He is a member of the Alumni Council of Westminster Choir College.

Contact John Bate at: mailto:John.Bate(at)StPetersUMCOC.org

Thanks,

John