Throughout the history of The First Church, the music program has played a central role for children and youth.
Typically, the year starts out with a fully staged, full length musical with a cast made up of all three of our children’s choirs.
The youngest children form small choruses that perform throughout the show, and children in grades 5 and up have the opportunity to audition for solo and lead roles.
This is an all-inclusive show, so everyone is given a part, no matter what! Performances are usually in the middle of November. After Thanksgiving, the regular choir season begins, in which all cast members of the musical must participate. The three children’s choirs present music four times in services throughout the year, and play a central role in the Christmas Eve services.
Presented by The First Church in Belmont, UU
The First Church Children's Choir season starts every year with a fully staged musical. This year we will be performing 13: The Musical, with music by Jason Robert Brown, based in the book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn.
Synopsis
Evan Goldman is plucked from his fast-paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parents' divorce. Surrounded by an array of typical middle school students, he struggles to establish his place in the popularity pecking order. 13 is a show that will resonate with many teens these days.
Key Contacts
Ian Garvie - Music Director
Laura Couch - Children’s Choir Assistant Director
Kara Sassone - Project Manager
Questions? Email YouthMusic@uubelmont.org
Performance Dates
Thursday, November 20 - 5:30 pm - CAST A
Friday, November 21 - 7:00 pm - CAST B
Saturday, November 22 - 7:00 pm - CAST A
Sunday, November 23 - 3:00 pm - CAST B
Production Start Date
Sunday, September 7th from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, there will be a parent orientation and information session for all interested participants. A pizza lunch will be provided for the children, and they will get a chance to watch the Netflix movie version of the show.
In general, rehearsals from September through November will be on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings for all participants, and on Thursday evenings as well for 5th Grade and up. Additional Tuesday rehearsals will be asked of lead actors. After Thanksgiving, rehearsals for all ages will be on Monday evenings.
This space will be updated with more details as we get closer to the start of rehearsals.
The Junior Choir
Pre-Kindergarten through 1st Grade
The Junior Choir is for singers from Pre-Kindergarten through 1st Grade. After the musical, rehearsals are Monday evenings from 5:30 - 6:10pm. Singers learn about healthy singing, how to match pitch, and they begin to learn to read music
The Chancel Choir
2nd - 4th Grade
The Chancel Choir is for singers in 2nd through 4th Grades. After the musical, rehearsals are Monday evenings from 6:15-7:00pm. Singers continue to practice reading music singing in parts. They also learn to sing in numerous other languages, including German, Latin, Spanish, Hebrew, and others.
The Youth Choir
5th - 12th Grade
The Youth Choir is for singers in 5th through 12th Grades. Rehearsals after the musical are Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30pm. Youth Choir members further their understanding of musical concepts, and learn to sing mixed chorus pieces in three, four, and sometimes even more parts.
The Alumni Choir
Young Adult Alumni
The Alumni Choir is formed of former Youth Choir members who return to sing at the 11pm Christmas Eve service. This is a wonderful opportunity for singers to reconnect with old friends, as well as to once again make music together.