ROCO’s Founding
The Church of St. John the Divine (SJD) was going through a renovation in 2004 and had acquired an impressive Létourneau organ. As part of the project, the space was taken down to the studs and was designed to be flexible so as to accommodate events such as choir and instrumental concerts. The acoustics were designed to enhance the music, especially the church’s rich heritage of hymn singing, choral, and organ music. Since musical experiences were a focus of the design, it was the perfect space for a 40-piece chamber orchestra to perform. ROCO’s founder and also a parishioner at SJD, Alecia Lawyer, heard about the plans and saw the drawings. She was inspired to form ROCO, a separate 501(c)(3) that is thriving in the professional world of classical music. Reverend Larry Hall, SJD’s rector at the time, and John Gearhart and Steve Newberry, the Music Ministry team, were enthusiastically supportive. The Church of St. John the Divine is ROCO’s acoustic home for full orchestra concerts that are livestreamed to the world for free.
