Upcoming Music Events
December is such a busy time for musicians – and everyone – as we prepare for the many holidays that seem to consume us this time of year. OCUUC is busy preparing for Winter Solstice, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day musical meditation service, and New Year’s Day service. But I want to make sure you also have two upcoming events on your radar for early 2012…
February 10-12, 2012 – Worship Weekend with Jason Shelton – “With Hearts and Hands and Voices”
I am very excited to bring out my friend and colleague Jason Shelton to lead not only OCUUC but all the local UU congregations in a weekend-long exploration of worship. He will be presenting a workshop about how our worship can be more aligned with our values. Plus we’re producing a big concert with Jason, our choir, a mass choir, and special guests. And Jason will lead worship at OCUUC on the Sunday morning.
Jason Shelton is one of the shining stars in the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network. He went to seminary to become a Minister of Music and he serves the big UU church in Nashville (where Beth and Tom Winnett go now). He is a wonderful composer with a huge heart for Unitarian Universalism. We are lucky to have several of his songs in our hymnals and in our choir’s files as well. In 2009, our choir traveled to sing in a mass choir at the Arizona district assembly, where we performed Shelton’s Sources: A Unitarian Universalist Cantata. His church has produced a CD of UU songs that I highly recommend.
I hope many of you will become involved in this exciting event. You can participate by attending the workshop, singing in the mass choir, volunteering to help, attending the Saturday concert and Sunday worship, or by inviting your friends to come along.
Attention Singers & Instrumentalists — As soon as the calendar turns over to 2012, we will hit our concert repertoire hard to prepare for our big Jason Shelton weekend concert on February 11. It’s the perfect time to join the choir so you can participate in this very special event. The choir is open to all singers who can match pitch and follow directions. We meet on Thursday nights at 7:30pm in the sanctuary. Plus the choir is having a special retreat on Saturday, January 14th in Long Beach to further prepare for the concert. Contact Beth (musicdirectorocuuc
org) if you’d like to get on board with the choir, or if you’d like to participate in the concert as an instrumentalist.
February 25, 2012 – Orange Coast Concerts – Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe
Another big event happening in February is our one-and-only Orange Coast Concerts event this year — Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe will be performing again at our church. I believe this will be their fourth appearance. Larisa is another friend and colleague of mine who I respect and admire very much. She travels around the world with her band, performing in concerts and rituals, plus serving others through a prison ministry. Her music is a combination of rock and world sacred music – a vibrant, energetic, loving musical experience based on Hindu mantras. You can dance, meditate, sing along, or just enjoy the music like a “regular” concert. Tickets are already on sale online and they will be sold on Sunday mornings after the first of the year. I hope you will also be able to participate in this event as an audience member or volunteer. This is an excellent opportunity to bring a friend who’s never been to OCUUC before. Since this is our only Orange Coast Concerts outing this year, we are hoping for great support from OCUUC so we can continue offering concerts next year.
Thank you for supporting the many ways that music intersects with worship and spiritual growth at OCUUC. I am at your service — let me know how I can best meet your musical wishes.
Beth Syverson
Director of Music Ministries
musicdirectorocuucorg (musicdirectorocuucorg)
714-376-6666
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