First
Unitarian New Choir Member Guide - Service Particulars
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| Item |
Where |
What/When |
Comments |
Thursday
Choir Rehearsals
Wall portraits
of previous ministers look on to make sure our diction is correct
|
Bancroft
Room
|
Most
Thursday nights
7:00 - 9pm
(During Sept-May season)
Warm-up the first five minutes; sometimes there will be sectional rehearsals (Sopr+alto separated from tenor+bass) |
Very informal, lots of fun |
| Sunday
Choir Warm-up |
Meet:
Choir
loft, sanctuary
|
Sundays
prior to service
9-10:00am |
Choir
sings typically 3 out of 4 Sundays each month; Easiest to get your robe
ahead |
Prelude/Announcements/
Musical Interlude
|
Collect
in the front narthex (be there by 10:30ish after having coffee break and socializing)
|
prepare
for introit |
|
OLD Choral
Introit
In narthex, a cappella |
Front
hallway
|
After
candlelighter speaks, pitch pipe will sound the tonic of the key, someone
will direct "from above" |
typically
no organ accpt involvement |
| New Choral
Introit Choreography |
Meet in the
Front
hallway |
Near the end of the prelude,
file out into the center aisle, two at a time, spacing yourselves
approximately 2 pews apart, facing forward.
At the end of the candlelighter's sentences, the choir will then face each other, and the soloist will begin the introit and the choir will join in.
The choir members are facing each other in the aisle, however having taken a small step to the left in order to be looking in between the adjacent members facing you. This achieves a staggering so that we're not just "singing to each other."
At the conclusion of the introit, return to facing forward. |
Most of the time, the introit score will be arranged to have a soloist to begin to set the pitch and tempo. |
OLD Choreography: Doxology
Lining Up in Narthex, enter for Dox.
Doxology
from the back of sanctuary |
During
covenant, file in to the back of the sanctuary
|
Sing
Doxology with congregation, including Amen,
from the back wall of the sanctuary inside |
|
| New Choreography: Doxology |
Remain in place from the introit. |
(Facing front) |
|
Processional
Hymn
In Center Aisle during introduction
2nd verse, split left & right
Continuing in balcony |
During organ
introduction, file out into the center aisle, 2 at a time, spacing yourselves
approximately 2 pews apart.
|
Begin
processing as prescribed by the organist's prior instructions, such as: Typically sing the first verse remaining in the aisle. At the beginning
of the first(sung) (sometimes second) verse, commence processing (right foot begins) and split to turn
right right or left and proceed up the spiral stairs. Once in the balcony,
head along the side to the choir loft and find your seat, remain standing
until after the hymn. |
Help keep
the tempos brisk. Resist the temptation to lag behind the tempo as the congregation often does subconsciously.
Sometimes
the tenors and sopranos will have a descant to sing on the last verse
(and/or an altered last few notes of the last verse). I'll try to continue the interlude as long as possible to get you in place for that.
We no longer
sing A-mens even if they're printed in the score.
Sing unison
on the first and last verses, and 4 parts on the inner verses, unless the hymn is marked as UNISON. |
| LP
Amen |
"forever
and ever Amen" remain seated |
Chord
from the organ and begin singing 2 beats (head jerks: 3+4) after the notes are given (there'll
be no pause in the organ's chord, it'll fade away once you start singing) |
|
| Ushers
traveling music |
"will
the ushers come forward"
Choir stands
at the direction of the organist |
|
Hopefully
organist remembers to give you the cue to stand while the ushers are
coming forward |
| Offertory
Anthem |
Choir
is standing
The minister will give the second part of the sentences. |
Anthem
begins immediately after the minister's sentences |
|
| Anthem
|
Choir
is standing |
|
|
| Choral
benediction ("outtroit") |
Choir is still standing from the last hymn |
chord
from organ to give notes |
|
| Postlude |
Choir
is dismissed but can linger if interested |
Please
pass in music to the top of the organ console and return robes to hangers in the basement closets |
|
| |
|
|
|
Typical
Order of Service
(choir
involvement in red)
Please ask the usher about hearing amplifiers
For those whose young children are unable to be quiet during worship:
- The service is broadcast in the Bancroft Room
and on to the hearing amplifiers in the Narthex.
- Child care is available in the Nursery downstairs
SUNDAY May 00, 1900 10:30 A.M.
"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." YODA
CONGREGATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS DAVID RYNICK
ORGAN PRELUDE Air,
from Orchestral Suite in D J.S. Bach
CANDLELIGHTER
CHORAL INTROIT [choir
is in center aisle]
CALL TO WORSHIP
*COVENANT
In the love of truth and in the spirit of Jesus
We unite for the worship of God and the service of all.
*DOXOLOGY
*RESPONSIVE READING 530 (gray)
*HYMN
203 (gray) "All Creatures of the Earth and Sky" WILLIAMS
BELOVED COMMUNITY REV. BARBARA MERRITT
(Children in the 4th grade and younger,
and their teachers, may go to their classes)
COMMON PRAYER (insert) ROBERT
MERRITT
SILENT MEDITATION
THE LORD'S PRAYER
CHORAL AMEN
OFFERTORY ANTHEM (choir stands as the ushers come forward)
BIBLE READING Proberbs 4:7-16, 18-21,
26-27
ANTHEM
READING
*HYMN 295 (gray) "Sing
Out Praises for the Journey" WESTMINSTER ABBEY
SERMON
*HYMN 302 (gray) "Children
of the Human Race" SERVETUS
*BENEDICTION TOM OLLILA
CHORAL BENEDICTION
ORGAN POSTLUDE Toccata LOUIS
VIERNE
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at First Unitarian
E-mail: info@firstunitarian.com
Phone: 1+508.757.2708
Fax: 1+508.753.9332
Mail: 90 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608-1173 USA
The
Reverend Barbara W. Merritt, Senior Minister
The
Reverend Thomas Schade, Associate Minister
Sierra-Marie Gerfao, Director of Religious Education
Will
Sherwood, AAGO, ChM, Director of Music & Organist
Liz Gustavson,
Moderator
Paul Ropp, Music Committee Chair
