Music is a pillar of our community at UU Middleboro. We strive to build a musical community, whether that’s congregational or choral singing, sharing a musical offering, or participating in a musical workshop or activity. We invite our members to explore a variety of musical styles, to focus on excellence rather than perfection, to support Sunday Morning worship, and to carry our ministry out into the world. For more information, please contact Susan Hotchkiss at music@uumiddleboro.org.
January Music Musings
After all the hullabaloo of December holidays, the thought of a shift into quiet contemplation is MOST welcomed! It’s cold, but the light is returning, slow & steady. We have heat in our homes, food in our bellies, fresh water, friends, family, and the constant wonder of exploration. It’s good to be a part of our beloved community, UU Middleboro!
Many of you know Erik Lindgren who is a friend of our church as well as a personal friend. Erik is an explorer of that crossover between genres of music: classical and rock, spiritual and light jazz, contemplative and wild. He started his music career writing advertising ditties, but you’ll never find his music piped into your local elevator. In maturity, his voice is unique and expansive.
Erik will be subbing for me on January 5. On January 12 at 3:00, we will welcome Erik and one of his “bands” (Bespoke Consort) to our church for a concert not to be missed. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details.
I wish you all, both great and small,
a happy, healthy, and bright new year!
Susan Hotchkiss, Director of Music
Upcoming Music events
Announcement from Music Director
Dear Friends and Members of UU Middleboro,
It is with mixed feelings that I announce my retirement at the end of this church year in June. Being your music director is a joy, a creative mixture of music making and music teaching. I am eager, however, to embrace the freedom of retirement to read more, travel a bit, tackle some new music, explore some new horizons. The time has come for me to step down and to let someone else take up the baton.
More about Music at UU Middleboro
The Music Committee
The Music Committee is a part of First UU Society of Middleboro, operating under its mission and focused on helping to support our church’s music ministry and music director. It is our intent to help enrich the goals of the Society, including spiritual and personal growth of congregants and outreach to the community at large. We strive to help build a program of inclusivity as well as excellence. We wish to promote diversity, creativity, fun, fellowship, and community through music.
(Statement of Purpose, revised May 2023)
Members of the Music Committee:
Dody Adkins-Perry
Katie Allen
Cindy Benard
Valerie Fontaine
Bet Giddings
Nicola Wilbar
Our Music Makers: Singers and Instrumentalists
The Chalice Choir is open to all and sings every other Sunday, making room for other solos and ensembles to share their musical offerings on alternate Sundays. Tuesday evenings are set aside for choir rehearsal from 7:00-8:30. Sunday morning is set aside for musicians to prepare for worship.
As needed, we form Caring Choirs to visit members and friends who are shut in and would like to hear or sing music from our UU hymnals and songbooks. Larger Caring Choirs participate in programs for nursing homes, shelters, and community events. December caroling is always a popular activity.
We support music in children’s Religious Education by sending choir members into Sunday morning classes and creating a Family Choir for special services during the year.
We have many fine instrumentalists in our congregation who share their gifts in worship as well as for fundraising activities. Instruments include guitar, ukulele, mandolin, flute, recorder, crumhorn, trumpet, percussion, double bass, and hammered dulcimer. We are open to more!
Our Instruments
Installed in the chancel, we have an historic Woodberry & Harris tracker organ, circa 1890. The original manual pump was replaced with a motor when Middleboro Main Street was wired for electricity. There are two manuals (Swell and Great) plus a 27-note pedal board, and the mechanism is fully mechanical. The organ was most recently refurbished by Andover Organ Company in 2014 and is listed in the Organ Historical Society Database.
In the spring of 2019, the church purchased a new Mason & Hamlin baby grand piano. This piano was hand-made in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and produces state-of-the-art depth and quality of sound.
