Editor’s Note: This year UUCC’s annual Spring Music Service was held Sunday, April 22. UUCC member Jerry Resigno, who attended the final rehearsal three days before the service, penned this note of appreciation to UUCC’s Minister of Music, Tom Benjamin, who in turn, shared it with the choir. Jerry’s words speak to music-making, and to concerns beyond music.
A friend of mine, Linda Uphoff, suggested I see the Thursday Choir Practice before the Music Service because I was going out of town visiting a sick Aunt on Sunday.
- I saw something new for me.
- I saw the making of a beautifully constructed and prepared Music Service on Social Justice.
- I saw the enterprise that is the choir led by you, Michael[1] and other Choir leaders directing an entire ensemble of knowledgeable, talented and dedicated Choir members.
I felt after the rendition of “Beautiful City” from Godspell, that if the whole world approached human enterprise needs the way our Choir prepares and works together harmoniously to build a Music Service, the world could build that “Beautiful City of Man”.
Only in a Unitarian Universalist Congregation like UUCC could you bring together different languages, musical genres, and wisdom developed over scores of years into a service inspiring Empathy and Social Action.
Unfortunately, many American Faith Communities tend to take their inspiration from a much narrower world view than Unitarian Universalists. This has often built disunity and paralysis.
I think in the UUCC Chalice Choir, you could put together (and maybe have) a service with Music and Wisdom from the Major World Religions that could be a Model for inspiring that “Beautiful City of Man”.
It’s clear you and the Choir inspired me,
Jerry
[1] Here Jerry is referring to Michael Adcock, Associate Director of Music Ministry, pianist/organist for the Music Service.
Additional editor’s note: An audio recording of the UUCC Spring Music Service, Beautiful City: Music of Social Justice, can be heard here.
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