The Choir repeated 11 of the anthems they sang from Sept to May. It was an uplifting and entirely musical service.
Pre-Prelude by Kate Gridley and Janie Wulff followed by the CVUUS Choir singing Give Me Birds at the Dawning by Betsy Binstock; arr. Amidon directed by Lucy Tenenbaum Director
The CVUUS Choir called us to worship with Primavera Lyrics, Marta Valentin; Music, Jason Shelton
Chalice Lighting (unison reading) by Marnie Singer Silas Conlon
The chalice is the container—
the space where the musicians and the listeners gather.
The oil is the fuel—
the hours of practice & the life experiences of everyone in the room.
The wick is the instruments and vocal cords
through which the music will flow.
And the flame—the flame!—
is the music which is created, as if by magic,
when the instruments are lifted,
the breath is inhaled,
and the downbeat is nodded.
May this flame ignite the music within us all!
Time for All Ages Percussion “Singing” Doug Wilhelm
The Choir led the congregation in singing We Will Build This House by Sally Rogers and Susan Conant; arr. Serenity Fisher
Offering Dona Nobis by Mary Lightfoot (Kate Gridley and Janie Wulff)
Choir Anthems
Ah Wanna Be Ready African American Spiritual
arr. Francois Scarborbough Clemmons
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song) by Patty Grifin; arr Mac Huff
Ah Gotta Robe African American Spiritual
arr. Francois Scarborbough Clemmons
The Choir led us into Mediation with A Clothing for the Soul Divine (Auguries of Innocence) Words, William Blake; music Tom Baehr (choir director of UU W. Brattleboro)
The Choir led us out of Meditation with Rising Green by Carolyn McDade; arr. Jim Scott
Choir Anthem I Am Willing by Holly Near; arr. Steve Milloy
Priscilla Bremser shared her Singing Together homily
Benediction Nada Te Turbe
Postlude I Choose You by Jason Shelton Kate Gridley and Janie Wulff
Our CVUUS Choir: Steve Maier & Priscilla Bremser, Revell Allen, Larry Vanderburgh, Kate Gridley and John Barstow, Neil Chippendale, Marnie Wood, Nance Wright, Anne Christie, Paul Seward, Theresa Gleason and her sister Ramona Chance, Doug Richards, Carol Harden, Marjorie Carsen, Margy Young, Brett Millier, Ellen Flight, Martha Fulda, Ginny Ashenfelter. Thanks to our year-long accompanists Chuck Miller and Kate Gridley. We miss those of you not with us today! Welcome and thanks to our guests, Karen St. Peter from Rutland and flutist and alto Janie Wulff. We appreciate Doug Wilhelm’s donation of his skillful percussion for this service. Special thanks to the uplifting choir soloists: Neil, John, Priscilla, Revell and Theresa.