G. Dene Barnard came to The First Congregational Church in Columbus in 1973 to be Organist and Choirmaster. That same year he founded the ‘Congregational Concerts’ series. His experience, skills and personal contacts led to almost instant success with the concert series.
Mr. Barnard began organ study in his native Canton with teachers Philip Hodel and W. Robert Morrison. Later, he worked with Walter Blodgett of Cleveland and Wilbur Held of Columbus. He earned his B.S. in Liberal Arts at Kent State University in 1957 and a Master of Sacred Music degree (S.M.M.) from Union Theological Seminary in New York where his teacher was Alec Wyton. He has also had further coaching with Russell Saunders and Robert Baker.
Before arriving in Columbus, he had been in a similar position at Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City and was the Secretary of the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary. In addition, he assisted at the Riverside Church for a period of three years. He has had other positions at High Street Christian Church in Akron, Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Massillon, Christ Episcopal Church in West Englewood, New Jersey, and Grace Episcopal Church in Utica, New York.
Dene taught for three years at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, three years at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and continues teaching as Instructor in Organ at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He has also filled teaching vacancies at Ohio Wesleyan University and Denison University. He was for many years under concert management and has played recitals throughout the United States and in Canada, Barbados and Germany. Dene has long been active in the American Guild of Organists. He has been Dean of the Canton Chapter and the Columbus Chapter. He has served other chapters in Akron and in New York City. He also served the Central New York Chapter (Utica) as Program Chairman of a regional convention of the AGO.
Rev. Dr. Chalmers Coe recalls in a sermon on the occasion of Mr. Barnard’s retirement; “He was chosen over three other superb aspirants for the post, all of whom had been given interviews and auditions. (Many more had applied for the position, attracted, of course, by the Beckerath.) He left New York and never turned back. He did once return to give a dedicatory recital on the new Holtkamp organ at his former church, and is the only organist, to my almost certain knowledge, ever to have received a review – and an unreservedly favorable one, at that – in the august columns, not of any newspaper, but of The New Yorker. Now it must be said, however, and in all candor, that we had much to offer him, not least the instrument over which he has presided with such distinction. Recent comments in the local press to the effect that this organ is the pride of central Ohio are welcome as far as they go.”
He retired in 2003 and was named Organist Choirmaster Emeritus.