Music

MUSIC ENSEMBLES

Music programs are offered for all ages. Partipation in all church music ensembles listed below is open to local community people as well as church members. For further information, contact info@community-ucc.org.

Chancel Choir

Our Chancel Choir, with professional leadership in each section, is noted for the quality of its contribution to worship. Each Advent and Lent, the Chancel Choir presents a Cantata with orchestral accompaniment. Every year or so, the choir has a special musical evening e.g. a musical show, a madrigal dinner, etc.

• Wednesday evenings: 7 pm - 8:30 pm in the Parlor
• Sunday mornings: 9:30 am - 10 am in the Sanctuary

• Sundays 10:15 am - 11:30 am

Youth Choir

The Youth Choir is new to our church and comprised of children ages 5-13. Our motto is "experiencing God's love through music", which we do through singing praise songs, and traditional and modern arrangements of hymns and spirituals. We perform several times during the year at church services either by ourselves or with the senior Chancel Choir. The Youth Choir is always looking for new members!

Chimers

A "chimes" group was formed shortly after a set of chimes was given to the church in memory of Jack Easley. Several times a year, the Chimers perform during the worship service, usually contributing during the introit and offertory. Our group is usually small, but we are mighty with our big LOW bass chimes and our cute little HIGH chimes.

The chimes group is looking for several new members, so please join us at our next rehersal.

• First & Third Wednesdays 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Sanctuary

SPECIAL MUSICAL EVENTS

2004 Advent season

We all enjoyed the Children's Christmas Pageant performed on Saturday evening December 4 in the Sanctuary. All the children had parts, even the youngest who dressed up as animals (of their choice). We hope to include a photo here and in the "photo gallery".

During the worship service on Sunday December 12, the chancel choir presented "The Christmas Story" by Heinrich Schutz. The choir and
soloists were accompanied by organ, violins, cello, trumpets, trombones, and recorders.

2004 Easter season

During the Palm Sunday worship service on April 4, the Chancel Choir accompanied by organ and chamber orchestra presented Faure's Requiem. The Chimers also performed during the service.

2003 Christmas season

"Baby Jesus, We Love You!" by Rhonda Frazier was performed on December 7, 2003 by the Youth Choir and directed by Katie Casey and Ben Wagner.

Carols and Lullabies - Christmas in the Southwest by Conrad Susa was sung in Spanish by the Chancel Choir during the Worship Service on Sunday December 14, 2003. The choir was accompanied by harp, guitar, and marimba. It was a wonderfully inspiring work that added to our Christmas season at CUCC. This work was originally commissioned by Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis and had its premier there about 10 years ago. As far as we know, this was the first time it has been performed in our area.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration for 2005 Ecumenical, Interracial Mass Gospel Choir

Rehearsals are held on Saturdays at Salem Baptist Church, 500 East Park, Champaign from 2 pm - 4 pm - December 4, 11, & 18 in 2004 plus January 8 and 15 in 2005 The choir will meet an hour or so before the actual Celebration on Sunday afternoon January 16, 2005. Everyone was welcome to join in this great community tradition. Just show up for most of the rehersals.

The Community Celebration in 2005 is January 16 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Madrigal Music, Meal and Merriment!

On the weekend of December 7 & 8th, 2002, the Community UCC Chancel Choir with the help of the Campus Ministry put on two spectacular Renaissance Evenings. After Carols and Wassail in the parlor, guests moved to the Sanctuary for a sacred concert of Men's Voices in Biebel's "Ave Maria" followed by Treble Voices and Harp performing Sir Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols". [This sacred music was repeated during the worship service that Sunday.] Following the sacred concert, the Madigral Merriment and Meal began in the Fellowship Hall with a dinner prepared and served by members of our Campus Ministry and the Merriment provided by jugglers and our Madrigal Singers who were dressed in beautiful costumes and dresses of that bygone era. The song/dance "Men in Tights" was a big hit! Sixty to seventy guests attended the Madrigal Merriment each evening.

Special Performance for the 2002 Christmas Season

The Youth Choir performed a Christmas musical entitled "Jesus, Light of the World" by Mark Patterson during the worship service on December 15, 2002. This unique score calls for the choir to sing in different languages, and perform a Christmas pageant with a theme based on the concept that Jesus is the light of the world, and has brought that light into the world through his birth.