First Church’s services are marked by beautiful and diverse music selections overseen by our music director and organist Ellen McGuire. Church members sing hymns, the choir performs a wide range of of selections, and Ellen plays a wide range of instrumental works on organ and piano. Soloist Janna Frelich adds a special vocal accompaniment to the service.

Hymns
Our Sunday services usually include three hymns, generally taken from the Unitarian Universalist hymnal Singing The Living Tradition (1993), the “gray” hymnal. Several times a year, we sing hymns from the previous Unitarian hymnal, Hymns Of The Spirit (1937), the “red” hymnal. Copies of these hymnals are available in the pews. Care is taken to avoid hymns that employ militaristic language and/or exclusively masculine descriptions of God.

The Choir
The First Church Choir is made up entirely of volunteer singers under the direction of our music director and organist Ellen McGuire. The Choir is dedicated to deepening and enriching Sunday morning worship through song. Special music is prepared at Christmas and Easter. The Choir meets twice a month for rehearsal, on Thursdays at 8:00 pm and usually sings every other week at church on the Sunday following rehearsal. See the calendar the for schedule.

The Organ
(More information coming soon.)