Director of Traditional Music

Born in 1962 in Maasluis, John was initiated into the organ when he was just 16 years old and took organ lessons from the famous organist of the Immanuel Kerk in Maasluis, Koos Bons. He received a diploma as a teaching and performing organist from the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague under the tutelage of Johann Th. Lemckert of the Grote- of St. Laurenskerk. Simultaneously he studied church music (choir direction and improvisation) and school music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague. He also studied Improvisation under the guidance of Jan Bonefaas in the Grote kerk in Gorinchem and attended workshops by Olivier Messiaen and Gaston Litaize to further hone his skills on French Organ Literature.

He has to his credit a certificate from the Musical Faculty of Westminister College, Princenton University having been tutored by Jeffrey Brillhart and has followed workshops by Craig Jessop, conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake City.

Since 1980 John gives regular concerts at the national and international level. John performs for the Dutch Radio and Dutch Television and has recorded several CDs.

John has been an organist and pianist at the American Protestant Church of The Hague since 1986, and was appointed Director of Traditional Music in 2002.

He is a reputed carillonist and plays the Carillion regularly at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. John also conducts the 100-members strong male choir “De Verenigde Zangers” in Barendrecht.

Besides being a choral director, John has a fulltime career and works as a Director of an Educational Consultancy.

Organist

Our Assistant Organist, Gijsbert Kok, was born in Waarder, the Netherlands on March 22, 1963. He majored in organ and church music at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague under Rienk Jiskoot, obtaining his Masters Degree as a performing church organist and obtained his Church Music Diploma in 1988.
Gijsbert went on to attend organists’ master classes, held by Harald Vogel, Marie-Claire Alain, Naji Hakim and Ton Koopman. He also studied carillon under Bernard Winsemius at the Dutch Carillon School in Amersfoort, obtaining diplomas in concert performance and improvisation in 1994. Gijsbert has won awards at carillon competitions in Tilburg, Groningen and Enkhuizen.

Gijsbert Kok is an organist at the Dom Church in De Lier, the Salvator Church in Bodegraven and the American Protestant Church in The Hague, as well as official carillonneur of the towns of Weesp, Voorschoten and Zoetermeer.

As an organist and carillonneur he performs regularly in the Netherlands and other European countries and has undertaken five extended tours throughout the U.S.A. Anyone interested in watching and hearing Gijsbert play the carillon is welcome to contact him in order to

Secretary

Cheryl Carr is the church office Secretary.

Director of Communications

Brittany Richardson is the Director of Communications at APCH.

Treasurer

Margie Rockafellow is Treasurer of The American Protestant Church of The Hague.

Facilities

George Krois, takes care of all the maintenance needs related to APCH, on and off property, including Manse I & II, vehicles and the church itself.

Custodian

Chan Meng Moy is has been our faithful custodian for many years. Together with his wife Sally, they make sure the church grounds, as well as the building, are well looked after.