Page 6 - FC Annual Report 2019-20

Minister of Music
2019-20 has been quite a year! It started out auspiciously with several new members joining the choir. We had a healthy number of 20 (when everyone showed up) with fairly balanced numbers to fill out all the parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We tried out the idea of meeting on Thursday evenings and found that it worked quite well although it took some adjustments. We lost a member, but gained two more. In order to accommodate Common Ground, the change did present the challenge of moving the rehearsal from Lyman hall into the Parlor, which had to be reconfigured to accommodate the new arrangement. Many new anthems were introduced with more contemporary music, although the old “chestnuts” were not forgotten and were incorporated into the programming as well.
I was able to finish up the re–organizing of the vocal library which was an important goal of mine. There is still further work to go as I intend to organize the solo and organ literature as well.
The choir was going really strongly through the Advent and Christmas seasons. Christmas Eve featured the handbell choir, several instrumentalists, solos, anthems and carols sung and played by the musicians of the First Churches.
And then in March, right after lent started, we were shut down due to Covid–19! This presented me with a new problem to solve, one that none of us anticipated. I have settled on the practice of recording music for every service that can be mixed into the YouTube video of our weekly services. Many musicians and choir members have donated their time and talents to participate in these recording sessions. They have become a rallying effort and have connected many of us in a very meaningful way. Many singers and performers have noted that just being in the sanctuary now feels like a gift. The space that the church provides has become even more sacred and is serving the essential function of making it possible to have physically distanced music-making. I feel blessed and privileged to have access to it. On the advice of the medical profession we have been told that singing is a key spreader of virus and to be avoided, especially in indoor spaces. Consequently, I have relied on instrumental music primarily, and used singers only as soloists. I have attempted to invite every member of the choir to sing and most have, some more than once.
At this point I have accommodated to a new routine of planning music with the Pastor(s) and am making the recordings towards the beginning of the week (Monday or Tuesday), giving ample time for the service to be put together during the rest of the week.
5