The Papps brothers, Jon Papps '44 and G.O. Papps '49 were born in Morristown, New Jersey. There are two Episcopal churches in Morristown; St. Peter's and Church of the Redeemer. Away back in time, St. Peter's was the "High" church and the Redeemer was the "Low" one.

    My father was the organist/choir director at the Redeemer

and Burnet Andrews was the organist/choir director at St. Peter's. (Burnet was an Oberlin graduate). My father and Burnet were friends and would alternate during the summer month of vacations - one year Burnet would play the Redeemer service for July and my father would play St. Peter's in August.

St. Peter's had an Aeolian- Skinner organ and the Redeemer had an Austin. (St. Peter's had a larger endowment program.)

    My father sent me to Burnet's choir in 1938-1939 from there I went to St. Thomas Choir School in 1940. I continued to sing in my father's choir through high school (enlisting many of my friends into the choir). I continued there until joining the United States Air Force (I sang there too). I then was the baritone soloist in the Upsala Touring Choir for three years until graduation. Upsala College was in East Orange, NJ and is now defunct. After choir singing in Episcopal churches in South Carolina, Maryland and Massachusetts as well as directing a choir in Massachusetts for a number of years, I decided that after 48 years of choral work I deserved  time in the congregation listening (and criticizing) the music as well as the homilies.

Jon Papps '44