Music Notes
by Rebecca Mebert, Music Coordinator
September means starting programs that have taken a break over the summer, choirs not being the exception! Music in worship, however, has not taken a break. Aimee Backus (Choral director), Phil Westcott (United Ringers handbell choir director), and I have worked to bring interesting and different music to worship during the summer.
The church picnic marked the end of the choir season, with full choir, flute, handchimes, percussion, and electric piano all navigating the wind. This summer, steel drum and piano, by Emily Backus and myself; guitar, flute, quartets, and duos, including Scott Kindig singing his arrangement from Godspell with piano, flute, and guitar. And who can top the Sunday that the Backus family helped us experience communion in a different way: Ernest sang a lovely tenor solo, and Aimee sang soprano and played flute while wearing baby Aoife in her “front-pack”!
Choir rehearsals will begin September 11; fitting, since one of our first songs to practice will be “Prayer” from the Broadway musical “Come From Away” about kindness and hospitality of a community in Nova Scotia. Their airport was a “safe zone” on 9/11, so many planes were diverted there when all U.S. flights were grounded during the crisis happening in New York and Washington. Three songs from Christian, Jewish, and Hindu traditions were sung: “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” “Ya'aseh Yishrael,” and “Asato Maa,” respectively. Music is often the way diverse people come together to celebrate.
In this spirit, we are planning a retreat for the congregation (inclusive of the choir) to interactively learn music and dance from Ghana, led by our own beloved Elikem Nyamuame, Visiting Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and Theater at Binghamton University. His resume is full of accomplishments around the world (check the BU website!), but his calling and early training comes from having led worship with his father, a Presbyterian minister in Ghana, and Elikem loves being a part of our worship, whether directing the choir, playing drum accompaniments, or singing in the choir. DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED, but all are invited!
We look forward to leading worship each week through music with and among all of you. All are welcome at anytime to join the UPC Choir, rehearsing on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm on the second floor of the education wing. No audition desired nor done!
Elikem Nyamuame (left), Aimee Backus, David Williams, and Phil Westcott join with Becky Mebert (at piano) in accompanying congregational singing.