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Unitarian Church of Sharon
4 N. Main St.
Sharon, MA 02067
781-784-3652
E-mail UCS
September 26: “Let All
the People Sing Before Thee”
Welcoming Remarks from the President
(Click on the photos to view a larger version.)
Read the sermon from this service.
Good
morning. Welcome to the Unitarian Church of Sharon, a member congregation of the
UUA. My name is Valerie White, and I am the president of this congregation.
This morning’s worship is a special service in honor and remembrance
of Dorothy Richardson, soloist and junior choir director in this church
fifty years ago.
I did not know Dorothy Richardson. I have only been a member of this
church for 10 years. By all accounts, Dorothy Richardson was a remarkable
human being. A Sharon resident, she was a consummate musician, an extraordinary
singer, as you have just heard, and a gifted teacher, who is gratefully
remembered by those with whom she shared her skills and her love of music.
She served this congregation, leading the choir and singing solos and
responses, for two decades, even though she was not a Unitarian. Moreover,
she achieved all of this as a woman of color.
We
bring you this service in her honor in the style of the 1950s. The
order of service, musical selections, formality, theological language
and responses are meant to convey the sense of a Unitarian Sunday during
Mrs. Richardson’s tenure here. If you are one of those longingly
conservative people who yearn for more theistic language, this is your
day. If you are a Humanist, like me, you may squirm a little. No matter
what our positions on the religious rainbow which makes a UU congregation,
we unite this morning in celebration of an extraordinary life.
This service, like all of our services, is a joint effort. It will be
led by the Rev. Deborah Cayer, minister of this congregation. The pianist
is Mel Springer, our music director, who is heroically playing despite
having had hand surgery yesterday. Our choir is directed by Jennifer
Spencer. Guest soloist is Cynthia Miles Gray, accompanied by Ellen Polansky.
But
many more people than those three have contributed their efforts and
their memories to the creation of this service. Among them are George
Bailey and Suzie Gray, as well as two people who, as children, sang
in Mrs. Richardson’s junior choir, and are singing in our choir
today. At choir practice last Thursday night, it was extraordinarily
moving to hear them helping Deb to create this service by singing service
music remembered from 50 years ago. Thanks to all of you.
The anthem this morning, “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place,” from
Brahm’s German Requiem, is a challenging piece of music, and the
choir has been working hard on it since August.
We thank also the First Baptist Church for the use of their choir robes.
We thank the Brookfield family for the loan of the portrait of Dorothy
Richardson which hangs to my left. We thank the Sharon Historical Society
for arranging an exhibit of Dorothy Richardson items. This afternoon
there will be an opening reception for that exhibit, from 2:00 to 4:00,
with a program from 2:30 to 3:00.
We extend a special welcome and thanks to members of Dorothy Richardson’s
family who are here this morning.
Read the sermon from this service.
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