From the 1800s through modern days, music has filled St. Paul’s with the wonder of holy sound.

• November 11, 1845 – Services of consecration of St. Paul’s Church held

• December 9, 1845 – The inaugural recital of the three-manual organ built by Henry Erbenof New York is given. The organ was located in the rear gallery of the gallery.

• 1845 – “Mr. Dunderdale” is mentioned as an Organist of St. Paul’s, possibly the first person to hold the position.

• c. 1850 – A “Mr. Ambold” is Organist.

• 1876 – Charles Pointdexter is Organist

• 1878 – Jacob Reinhardt is Organist. Mrs. Rheinhardt sings alto in the St. Paul’s quartet.

• 1883 – Music for Easter Sunday morning was “Christ is Risen,” S.P. Warren; “Christ Our Passover,” Burnett; Glorias, Buck and Warren; Te Deum, Wilson, in G; Jubilate, Danks; “Christ the Lord is Riesn Today,” Wilson; “Sing Alleluia Forth,” Buck; and the offertory, “Now is Christ Risen,” G.W. Warren.

• 1889 – The original organ is moved to the chancel. The Choir also begin singing in dvidided choir stalls in the chancel. The installation of the organ and possible alteration of that instrument by M.P. Moeller (Opus 131) is largely unsuccessful. The church refused its final payment to Moeller for the installation and sought another company to correct the work.

• 1894 – The Wednesday Club Musical Society, a choir of 160 amateur voices conducted by Arthur Scrivenor, and accompanied by Jacob Reinhardt, organist, sang The Crucifixion by John Stainer at St. Paul’s on Good Friday to an overflow crowd.

• Easter Sunday, April 14, 1895 – St. Paul’s Choir wears vestments for the first time.

• 1907 – A three-manual organ built by Lyon and Healy of Chicago is installed in time to be heard by delegates of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church.  The inaugural recital is performed by S. Archer Gibson, organist of the Brick Presbyterian Church, New York, on October 23.

• 1914 – F. Flaxington Harker is Organist & Choirmaster; Jacob Reinhardt is named Organist Emeritus

• 1923 – A new console is installed for the Lyon and Healy organ, making it a four-manual instrument.

• 1928 – Major work is done on the Lyon and Healy organ.

• 1932 – Mrs. Sydney C. Swann (Nina Randall) is organist.  Mrs. Swann was a organ student of F. Flaxington Harker at the University of Richmond.

• 1949 – James R. Sydnor is Organist & Choirmaster.

• 1952 – A four-manual organ built by Æolian-Skinner of Boston is installed in the chancel.

• 1960 – Edouard Nies-Berger is Organist & Choirmaster

• 1968 – Carl Motley is Organist & Choirmaster

• 1969 – Raymond F. Glover is Organist & Choirmaster

• 1976 – Major alterations are made to the Æolian-Skinner organ.  A small two-manual console was added in the rear gallery, and the Choir begin to regularly sing from the rear gallery.

• 1980-81 – Raymond F. Glover leaves his position to become the editor of the Hymnal 1982, the current Hymnal of the Episcopal Church. Raymond Egan becomes Organist and Choirmaster of St. Paul’s

• 1981 – Grant Hellmers is Organist & Choirmaster.

• 1988 – An organ committee is formed to replace the Æolian-Skinner organ.

• February 26, 1989 – The one-manual organ by Henry Erben is dedicated in St. Paul’s Chapel. This organ, originally for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Granville, Ohio, was built in 1837. It is the oldest organ in the City of Richmond.

• 1992 – Karen Harris is appointed Assistant Organist & Choirmaster.

• May 21, 2000 – The three-manual organ built by Manuel Rosales of Los Angeles, Opus 22, is dedicated. The organ is in the rear gallery of the church. This was the first Rosales instrument to appear on the East Coast.

• 2009-10 – Karen Harris is Interim Organist & Choirmaster

• 2010 – David Sinden is appointed Organist & Choirmaster.

• August, 2015 – Karen Harris is Interim Organist & Minister of Music.

• January, 2016 – Dr. Christopher Reynolds is appointed Director of Music and Organist.

Information gathered from publications of St. Paul’s Church and The Organ in Richmond by Donald R. Traser.