There has been a lot of music happening at the UUFC since the beginning of Covid. After almost two years of the choir being on hiatus due to the pandemic, we are so happy to have them back with us. Last spring they started meeting just to sing hymns, wearing masks and sitting far apart. It was a tough time, but they were so excited to be singing together.
Last summer they made their first appearance after almost two years of not singing in services at all. They were small but mighty, and now they’re nearly as big as before, and are continuing to grow. We are so glad to have Stephen Evans-Renterria leading the choir. He has been doing an incredible job and brings a lot of enthusiasm to our services. If you are interested in singing in choir, talk to Steven about joining. He’ll be the one waving his arms in front of the choir when they sing.
David Servias has stepped away from being the regular choir director to help in other areas like technology and the website, but is still overseeing our music program. You will see him at the piano with the band. That’s right, we have a band now! We tried putting together a band to lead hymns for the first time last Spring, and we had so much fun that we’ve been doing it ever since about once a month. Steve Strauss (guitar), George Beekman (percussion), and Gary Barnes (singer) have been part of this group since the beginning. Julie Harter (guitar) and Matt Matthews (guitarrón – ask him to show it to you!) joined us for the first time on Christmas Eve, and Priscilla Galasso sang with us for the first time in February. We only rehearse the morning of, so it’s very exciting and we have a great time. If you play guitar, bass, percussion, or sing, and you enjoy flying by the seat of your pants, talk to David.
We did say goodbye to one of our members, Lynn Scott, who moved to Scotland this month. Lynn helped us through the pandemic when we were only doing outdoor services, with less than 30 people and she led the songs. We are so grateful for the music she brought to our services, and we wish her the best in her new adventures.
We’ve had some great guest musicians since we’ve come back to in person services, including Johanna Beekman, Compass Rose, and Roy Zimmerman. But the most important part of our music program is all of you who come together on Sunday morning to join in the singing, clapping, and dancing. We are so excited to have everyone back together making music!