John 'Jack' Hutton Jr., organist and choirmaster, dies at age 82
Times Picayune 03-22-2010
Submitted By NOVA

************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************


John “Jack” Hutton Jr., an organist who led New Orleans choirs for more than 40 years, died
March 10 at his home of complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 82.

Mr. Hutton, who was the organist and choirmaster at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church for
42 years, was “the elder statesman of church musicians in New Orleans,” said Bill Memmott, dean
of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

A New Orleanian since 1965, Mr. Hutton also was director of the Concert Choir of New Orleans for
more than 30 years, and he composed and arranged choral and organ music.

“Like as the Hart,” an anthem he composed, was played at his memorial service.

In addition to classical music, Mr. Hutton was always on the lookout for contemporary composers,
said friend Donice Alverson.

“I don’t want this to just be a history lesson,” she recalled hearing him say.

Mr. Hutton rehearsed and led a choir that performed with Duke Ellington’s band for the local
premiere of one of Ellington’s sacred compositions.

“He had a great love for good music,” Memmott said. “He was very disdainful of anything that was
not well done or of high quality. He was moved by excellence.”

A native of Wilkinsburg, Pa., Mr. Hutton earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in music from
the Peabody Conservatory. He also held a master of music degree from Southern Methodist
University and a master of sacred music degree from Perkins Theological Seminary.

Before moving to New Orleans, Mr. Hutton taught at the Hampton Institute and Maryville College,
and he was minister of music, organist and choral director at churches in West Virginia and
Texas.

In New Orleans, he taught at the University of New Orleans and Dillard and Loyola universities.

Mr. Hutton worked at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church from 1965 until his retirement in
2007, when he was named choirmaster emeritus, a position he held until his death.

He was a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society, and he served several terms
as dean of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

“He was a dynamo,” said Memmott, music director at John Calvin Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Hutton, who lost most of his music library to Hurricane Katrina, set to work after the storm
to rebuild Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church and its Aeolian-Skinner organ.

When the organists’ guild sent about $20,000 to New Orleans to help its members, Mr. Hutton was
on the committee that decided where the money should go.

He was a logical choice for that role, said Danny Gamble, organist and choir director at Gretna
United Methodist Church.

“He was a guy who was there to help you whenever you had any kind of need,” Gamble said.

Survivors include Mr. Hutton’s wife, Elizabeth Enloe Hutton; a son, Richard Hutton; two
daughters, Elaine Hutton Johnson and Gwyneth Hutton Aaron; and five grandchildren.

A memorial service was held Thursday at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church.