OVERVIEW
First Unitarian has a long history of a fine music ministry program as well as an involved congregation. With tightened budgets and increased requests of the staff, we are seeking help. We in the music program are grateful for the yearly music budget we're given. The expectations of our music are high and in order to continue to provide high-quality service music, we need both financial and volunteer assistance. We're hoping that you will take a few minutes to browse through the listings below and if an item "resonates" with you, that you will contact us.
In those instances where it is appropriate to acknowledge contributions (if so desired) in honor/memory of persons or causes (on our music web site and/or in the weekly order of service) we'll use a wording of your choosing.
If a topic is of interest but out of your range, please inquire about a partial funding or consider gathering a group to pool funds to attain the amount needed.
Monetary donations to support these requests have the same tax-deductible status as any other donation to the church. Checks are made out to First Unitarian.
Dollar amounts listed below are rough estimates, and may be out of date by the time someone shows interest. Please let us know of your interest and we'll obtain a solid quote.
(last updated September 2018)
ITEM DONATIONS NEEDED
- LAPTOP COMPUTER (Windows preferred) with WiFi - for our music library
- GRAND PIANO (Size: Baby grand up to Model B Steinway) - for Unity Hall
(Gift-in-kind letter provided for your tax records)
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HOT TOPICS!
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- Portativ accompaniment organ for use up front in the sanctuary and in the chapel (it's movable on wheels) - allows organ accpt when choir is in the front - $20,000
- $300 - New (for us) Ludwig 23" timpani completed our set of four. (already purchased, but heretofor unfunded)
- We have several new sets of choral music scores we'd like to order $100 each set
- $25-50-100-your donation choice - Allow Will to choose the priority of the moment
- (Gift in kind) Wood (lumber) - about 40 lineal feet of 2x2 or 2x4 (rough) wood for use in the choir music room to raise the music library filing cabinets off the floor. We've had this on some list somewhere since the 2001 fire restoration, and we're reminded recently by water in the basement and roof leaks. The wood can be any lengths 3' or greater (continuous pieces are not a requirement; beauty is not a requirement!)
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VOLUNTEER TASKS/PROJECTS
- VOLUNTEER - Come sing with us! Join the choir - no auditions are necessary. We make wonderful music and have a great time.
- VOLUNTEER - Assist with our choral music library - Each week choristers collect the scores we've used that day and return them to the library where they need to be re-filed (alphabetically by composer - it's very easy!). Every year or so we do an audit and/or overall room tidying. We can always use another set of hands and it’s a great way to get to know some of the singers and learn more about the choir.
- VOLUNTEER - "Water" the pianos (during the winter) to keep the grand piano humidifiers fed.
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DONATIONS/SPONSORSHIPS — ONGOING
- Purchase CDs - $10 each (either online or at the church); 3 for $25. All proceeds from CD sales go directly to the work of the church. CDs make great gifts for family & friends and are a great introduction to our music program and for encouraging someone to visit our Church. See www.FirstUMusic.com/CD for more information about our CDs.
- Sponsor the purchase of a set of choral scores - The cost of scores for each anthem averages about $100 for the 40 copies needed. We have a long list of pieces that we'd love to perform if we only had the scores - especially with our widely varying repertoire. Donations for this purpose can be accompanied by suggestions for the genre of music purchased and of course we will be happy to put an acknowledgement tag on each score in honor/memory of the person or cause you select.
- Sponsor a piano tuning for 2019 - Two to three times a year our Steinways (in the Sanctuary and Bancroft Room) need tuning due to usage and temperature/humidity/seasonal changes. Each tuning is $175, and a year's tunings is $700. Any number/combination ($175 to 700) of sponsored tunings would be most appreciated!
- Fund the purchase of a set of Bongos (small percussion/drum instrument) for use with some of our Gospel and folk/world music (frequently featured in the Introit). $150
[update: bongos were purchased with funds "borrowed" from the music budget because we needed them, but they aren't "paid for" yet]
- Sponsor a "Soloist Seat" or Collegiate Choral Scholar (CCS)position - Most of our choir members are volunteers, but we augment our forces with professional section leader/soloists who help provide a core foundation for our choral sound (and help supply confidence for others in their section). We offer the possibility to sponsor one or more positions for one or more Sundays in the church year.
- Sponsor a Guest Instrumentalist for a special Music Solo Sunday. From time to time we hire outside instrumentalists to perform during the service or at a post-service noontime concert in the Sanctuary. $200-500
- Fund the next pipe organ tuning/maintenance visit for $900. Even our King of Instruments requires periodic tuning and mechanical upkeep - we always have an ongoing list of things that are broken (but usually the organist has to work-around them or just avoids using certain stops).
- Sponsor an orchestral accompaniment for a future Music Sunday (performance of a major choral work). $2500-5000 (for a set of 10-20 musicians)
- Sponsor an organ recital open to the community. $1500-5000 (depending on the selected artist )
- Sponsor a commissioned choral or organ composition to be premiered at 1st U.
$1000-3000
- Make a bequest to the music program, for use as you specify (yearly concerts/series, musicians, instruments, other sponsorships). $1,000-$500,000
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DONATIONS/SPONSORSHIPS — ONE-TIME REQUESTS
- (Gift in Kind, or donation) $150 (each, two needed) for a sleek/minimalist grand piano music light. Recently we had a duo piano concert and had to use Home Depot Halogen worklights so the pianists could see their music!
- Fund adequate lighting for the Bancroft Room for choir rehearsals and other church functions in that area. The current recessed lighting is insufficent for choir rehearsals - our volunteers strain their eyes at the end of each Thursday. Please help the choir see clearly so we can sing more dearly!
$4000-5000 (est)
- Fund the fixing of several electrical systems related to the pipe organ and balcony choir loft area that were abandoned by the electrical contractors hired for the 2001 sanctuary church fire restoration. (est. $1000)
- Fund the implementation of a video recording system for the Sanctuary. The wiring was installed during the 2001 renovation in preparation for innocuous remote-controlled cameras in the ceiling and a video switcher and recorder computer to enable production of DVDs and webcasts for our worship services. Trinity Lutheran has a two-camera (robotic, unseen cameras) and it's been working quite well for them. $10,000
- Fund the completion of the Sesquialtera II rank of pipes in our Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. $5000
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