The Church of St John the Evangelist was founded in 1860. It was located on Sussex Street near the corner of Sussex and Rideau, on the site of the current Connaught Building. The church contained a small hand-pumped pipe organ. Records do not indicate the names of the organists, but the annual financial reports always contain a budget line for music personnel. For example, in 1876, the organist's salary was $150 per year (compared to the priest's $1,200 p/a), but it was increased $25 by motion of vestry "in recognition of the zealous discharge of his duty." The wind for the organ had to be pumped by hand; the organ-blower was paid $30 a year, and the bell-ringer was paid $6. At a special vestry in March of the following year, it was decided not to increase any of their salaries because of parish financial difficulties. To make up the shortfall, pew rents were increased by 20%. The vestry minutes also record a vote of thanks to the choir, but there is never any budget for the choir.
There seems to have been a frequent change of organists at St John's in the early days of the twentieth century. The names of organists appear from time to time in the annual parish vestry report, which was simply a list of names of officers and a detailed financial report. The earliest names shown are:
- 1903 - C.C. Hampshire, organist
- 1905 - J.A. Howard
- 1907 - W. Ellis, organist
- 1909 - H.T. Minter, organist (also a member of the choir committee)
- 1910 - H.T Minter
There is no indication in the parish records of who was in the choir, or of the function of the choir committee. The design of the church did not include an obvious seating area for a separate choir. In 1907, the Church of St John the Evangelist was sold to the federal government for $45,000, with the understanding that the parish could continue to use the building rent-free until the federal government needed the property to begin construction. In 1912, the building burned to the ground. St John's subsequently merged in 1913 with the parish of Grace Church.
