Dear UCM Community,

 

2022 began with our choir meeting on Zoom only, due to the Omicron surge. Fast forward to last Sunday, which marked the first time in over two years when members of the choir stood facing the congregation to help lead our closing hymn. 

What a road we have been on! Adaptation continues to be the hallmark of the UCM choir and music program this year, as we strive to create meaningful musical content for our services while working within evolving safety considerations and technical capacities. 

For me, working with our pianist Eliza and the singers in our wonderful choir on Thursday nights—their positive spirit, flexibility, and dedication to UCM and each other—is always the highlight of the week, otherwise often filled with recording logistics and video production. Recently some of UCM’s young people joined us for a song, which was a great experience both for the choir and for the children and youth.

As the director, I enjoy the great and currently uncommon privilege of being able to stand in front of the choir and absorb their beautiful sound live in our Sanctuary. Recently we’ve been working with our dedicated Production/Tech team to figure out how we can best capture the full resonance of the choir, as well as that of guest musicians, both in our recordings and to send over live stream. This capacity will serve us well into the future both for hybrid worship and as our Sanctuary once again becomes a sought-after concert venue. 

We are now looking forward to Music Sunday, on May 22. We would love to be, and hope to be, singing once again on the chancel, with congregants in the pews. But whatever restrictions we may be facing at that time, it will be a special day, and we will be pouring our hearts and efforts into a program that hopes to address both the pain and promise of these times, in the way that only music can.  The program will include music in a variety of styles, highlighting several works by African-American composers. 

If you would like to sing with the choir, you are welcome!   Feel free to contact me about this or anything else related to music at UCM at ucm.music21@gmail.com

 

With gratitude,

Donia Prince