Biography:  John Francis Kriebel

Born in Vancouver, Washington, son of Violet (Holden) Kriebel, from Butte, Montana, of Irish Catholic ancestry, and David T. Kriebel, from Coffeyville, Kansas, of mixed German and English ancestry.  My father converted to Catholicism when he married my mother. 

 I grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending St. Andrew’s parish grade school and Central Catholic H.S.  In grade school one of my earliest memories is of singing the Dialogue (Latin) Mass with my classmates.  One of the most important events of my high school years was the Second Vatican Council, and the change from Latin Masses to church music in the vernacular.  It was about 1962 or so that I decided I wanted to write music for the new liturgy which was coming into being.  I have continued this desire all my life since.

College – Music history and literature - Seattle University – B.A. in Fine Arts/Music (1969); University of Washington – M.A. in Fine Arts (1973); further studies at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (1979-81)

Music:   Private piano lessons through grade and high school; private organ lessons at St. James Cathedral, George Fiore, instructor; sang in men’s choir, later mixed choir, at St. James through about 1972;

Music career: St. Edward Catholic Church, 1974-1979; St. Philomena Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois, 1979-1984; Beacon Hill Presbyterian, Seattle, WA, 1986 – 1993; Relief Organist and Choir member at St. Paul’s Episcopal, 1993 – 2013; Organist, St. Clement’s Episcopal, Seattle, 2015-present.

Publications – “Hymn Fantasy on ‘Be Thou my Vision’” [Slane] – H.W. Gray Publications (Warner), 1995, presently under Alfred Publishing;

“Partita on Lo, How a Rose E’erblooming” – H.W. Gray Publications (Warner), 1996, presently under Alfred Publishing;

“Variations on ‘Stabat Mater’” – GIA Publications, 2013

“Down Ampney,” “In Babilone,” and “McGee” – from “Gathered to Worship” – Organ Music based on Hymn Tunes, Volume I – GIA Publications, 2016

“Ten Carols for the Christmas Season (For Organ” – GIA Publications, 2017

Unpublished works:  4 Mass settings, 36 hymn tunes, numerous organ works on hymn tunes and in free forms (fugues, etc.), motets, anthems, solo vocal settings