Happy New Year! I hope you all had a blessed holiday season. After a few days off, I am back at work happily devising new musical opportunities for First Parishioners, in the spirit of hospitality, welcome, and inclusiveness. Starting in January, we will schedule the Thursday evening choir rehearsals in such a way to allow maximum participation by all interested parishioners in the choir's activities:

1. LEXINGTON CHORAL FESTIVAL Feb. 6: During January, we will be learning Aaron Copland's “The Promise of Living” to sing with the combined choirs, plus an anthem or two to present on our own. Anyone wishing to participate with us in the Lexington Choral Festival may join us from 8pm to 8:30 on Thursday evenings in the Sanctuary to rehearse, beginning January 6.

2. AUCTION ANTHEM: After the Choral Festival is over, we will use the same schedule to work on the Auction Anthem, which has yet to be selected by bid winner Tom Rich (if you have any suggestions for him from the standard choral repertoire, let me or Tom know—we are thinking of Brahm's “How Lovely is thy Dwelling Place,” but are open to suggestions!) The Auction Anthem is tentatively scheduled for March 20, but may be moved.

3. MUSIC SUNDAY, May 15: Although the regular choir members will have a head start on the rest of the parishioners, anyone who cannot otherwise join the choir but wishes to sing with us on the May 15 Music Sunday may rehearse with us for one hour, 8:30 to 9:30 on Thursday evenings, beginning in April. That will give you five Thursday rehearsals with us, plus the Saturday run-through on May 14 from 11am to 1pm. I haven't yet ordered the music, but I am leaning toward “World Beloved,” a bluegrass Mass.

As I hope you already know, membership in the First Parish Adult Choir is unconditional, with the exception that members must be aged 16 or older. We'll take you as you are, and we'll welcome you as often as you are able to attend. Some of you have asked me why I can be so flexible about choir participation. The answer is threefold: the strong commitment of a dedicated core group of singers; the diligence and skill of our wonderful section leaders; and the warm, welcoming attitude of all the choir members to accept colleagues of various levels of participation.

So don't be shy about visiting a choir rehearsal to try things out. You are truly welcome, whether you come to participate in the entire rehearsal or just a portion---or even just to sit and watch, to see what we are all about. Maybe we'll see YOU there some Thursday night!