Report on the Sunday service June 1st

I've sung in Unitarian church choirs since I was a child.  Choral singing is much less nervous-making than soloing-- almost as relaxed as songs around a campfire. No so getting into the pulpit and Preaching, even as part of a group.  Why is a congregation of 300 people some of whom you know more daunting than an audience of 30 to 1300?  I don't know.  I seldom suffer stage fright, but I was so nervous I shook when I delivered my segment of the lay service on Our History at First Unitarian Society in Newton.  I was afraid that when I went to sing the snatches of hymns I used as examples of the evolution of texts and music in UU Worship Services a tuneless croak would come out, or I would forget where I was in the piece and try to match the words to a different section of the melody....

But it went well, and the whole group of us, though carrying on a tad longer than optimum, were well-received. 

"REVIEW" Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:21 PM

Subject: today's service

Dear Noreen, Alan, Geralyn, Linda, Gayle, Jackie, Peter, Anne W.B. and the Gospel Choir,

So one of the very first people to speak to me about the service this morning left me feeling satisfied that mission (at least my mission, or hope for this service) was accomplished. She said something like, "Hearing all of those stories was so wonderful, it brought the big picture into view and helped me to see the many changes we've endured over the years. The subliminal message that came through is that everything is really going to be okay. We can do this just fine." Hearing what she took from the stories made my heart sing.

 I feel that the depth of feeling in each reader's message showed the relational/spiritual value of each facet of the community. I am also glad that at least this one person did feel comforted by taking the long view of FUSN 's history, I think we can assume others did as well. We can only hope that we took a step or two this morning toward getting folks in the mood (girding our loins?? hoisting our sails??) to meet the changes ahead with confidence and happy anticipation.

Deep thanks to you, Noreen, for tending this service so closely, and to everyone who contributed, for being generous with your time and hearts. I think it turned out to be a lovely, community sustaining service.

Holly (and the Worship Committee)

A Play To Go To School

From Professor Alan Woods
I wonder if you'd be willing to let me use Boston's Brothers in Liberty for a class I'm teaching this term at Ohio State. The course is for first year honors students, and is " Introduction to Theatre: Making History ---- Honors Early Experience Research Seminar " Each student is assigned a play, and they spend the term reconstructing everything they can find out about the playwright, where the play has been produced (or, if not, what reaction the writer's had to the script), and so forth--as a way of exploring the way theatre happens in the contemporary world.

If you will permit me to assign the play, you'd also be agreeing to have the student contact you and interview you for an oral history. The student will write a formal research paper, based on the interview and the research, and the interview then becomes part of our oral history archives here.

I would, of course, be happy to answer any questions you might have. I do hope you'll let our students--most of whom have little or no theatrical background--learn about theatre through your work.