I hope everyone is having a fun summer! I miss seeing you all and look forward to another exciting year at First Parish this fall!

On Thursday, I will be heading to Arlington, Virginia, to attend the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network’s annual conference. The title of the conference is “Beyond the Wall:  Expanding the View of Music Ministry in Your Community.” Music and Worship are the cornerstones of the UUMN and the centerpiece of the annual conferences. This year, a worship design team chosen from numerous applicants will create and model transformative worship practices. The conference choir will be led by the always-inspiring Brian Tate. They will offer three reading sessions of UU-appropriate music which we all can take home to use with our congregations. The UU Church of Arlington will be the conference church this year. This 800-member congregation will welcome the many UU musicians from around the country for workshops and worship. Networking, round table discussions, workshops (conducting, improvisation, composing, etc.), concerts, and worship services will be offered each day. I am really excited to see what other UU churches around the country offer musically for worship and community outreach!

Next month, I will be publishing the starting dates for all of the fall choirs. If you are interested, email me in early September and I can tell you more about the fabulous music making we have to offer.

Blessings,

Rip

Director of Music

First Parish in Lexington