Apr 13, 2017 3 min read

John Yanda has been a church organist/choir director for 59 years, and even though the 81-year-old has no immediate plans to retire, he has produced his final CD.

Last Sunday, he hand-delivered that CD to several members of First United Methodist Church in Canonsburg, but not before his wife – one of the inspirations behind his music – received the first copy.

Two other copies were given to the widows of the men – Chuck Kolsosky and Tom Samuels – for whom the CD was dedicated, as well as members of the Canonsburg congregation and family members in Kansas and Florida.

Yanda paid a recording company, Blacksmith Recording Studio of Belmont, Ohio, to visit the church recently to create the pipe-organ recordings just so he could bring joy to others.

“Church music has been a wonderful blessing,” Yanda said.

Eight of the 12 tracks are directly related to the Christian faith. Music includes “Star Spangled Banner,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Onward Christian Soldiers,” “Over the Sunset Mountains,” “Elevation,” “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” “I Am Thine, O Lord,” “Footsteps of Jesus,” “Be Still, My Soul,” “Bridal Chorus,” “Wedding March” and his own “Paganini Variations.”

Yanda, who took piano lessons for 25 years, beginning at age 7, and pipe-organ lessons for four years, has found a lot of comfort in his lifelong love of music, and is no stranger to using it to bring similar comfort to others.

In April 2014, he performed a concert in his wife’s honor at the church “just because it seemed like the right thing to do,” he told the Observer-Reporter in July 2014. “No particular reason. Just because I continue to love her.”

His wife, Carol, began living in a specialty-care home six years ago following back surgery. One year later, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Yanda now gets teary-eyed when he recalls his frequent visits with his wife. She always tells him she loves him, he said, but he doesn’t know if she recognizes him anymore.

Last year, Yanda compiled a CD, “A Believer in Jesus,” in honor of his wife that the Women’s Business Network, McMurray Chapter, sold to benefit its team in the Washington County Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Pat Tonsetic, the church’s outreach leader and a member of WBN, McMurray Chapter, said the music on that CD is very relaxing. It includes “Wonderful Words of Life,” “Warsaw Concerto,” “Variation 18 – Rachmaninoff,” “Dedication,” and “Prelude in G Minor – Rachmaninoff.” Yanda’s two original pieces are “John’s Invention” and the “Bonus Track.”

Yanda has been the organist at Canonsburg United Methodist since 2014. He previously served as organist at Jefferson Avenue United Methodist, Washington, for seven years; Waynesburg United Methodist for nine years; Third United Presbyterian, Washington, for 20 years; Sheraden United Methodist for five years; and Millvale Methodist for 14 years.