Music and Choir

Our UUFES music comes in many styles and flavors. Shana plays various instruments during a Sunday service: generally piano and acoustic guitar, sometimes also fiddle, mandolin, banjo, ukulele and/or percussion.​

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A highlight of the UUFES Music Ministry is inclusivity of everyone’s musical gifts. Singers and musicians from within the congregation and the community are often invited to contribute a song or piece, or to play along for worship music. The ensemble changes continually depending on musicians’ availability. On a given Sunday morning, you might hear piano or guitar along with violin, cello, flute, bassoon, recorder, ukulele.

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Choir and congregational singing are joyful and moving, 

with traditional UU hymns, as well as songs from outside conventional

church music sources. To match the theme of each service, diverse

styles are selected such as Appalachian, Celtic,

Eastern-European Klezmer, folk, blues, gospel, Sacred Harp,

Kirtan, chants from around the world, country, rock, jazz and
classical.

 

 

 

 

 

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Another highlight of the UUFES Music Ministry is collaboration. Together with Minister and Religious Educators, music is chosen connect with the sermon, readings, and other elements of a service. Shana:  "I think about how the music is a piece of the whole, and how it lands for everyone. Will this music help lift people, even just a little bit? Will it land in a way that helps everybody? Will it help everyone feel a part of something, less isolated than whatever they're going through?"

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UUFES musicians and singers rose to the challenges of zoom-only
services during the early years of the covid-19 pandemic and also during
building renovations due to 2021 flood damage. Shana created over 40 “virtual”
choir and ensemble recordings to use in worship services. For each
recording, she first recorded herself playing accompaniment to hymns or other
music, then sent out tracks to musicians and singers. They each recorded
their parts on their phones and sent those back to Shana who then mixed it all
together. As one singer said, “You’re helping us feel part of a choir
again.”

ALL voices and instruments are welcome in the UUFES Music Ministry! No previous choral or ensemble experience is required, and it isn’t necessary to be able to read musical notation. Shana rehearses every Sunday at 9 AM. Even if you can’t attend every rehearsal, do come whenever you can. Please email or talk with Shana after a service to learn more.