Music News Archive
The choir presented two wonderful concerts in June, one on behalf of Dining for Dollars and the other benefitting the music fund. Photo by Diana Spears.
Director of Music DeReau K. Farrar and friends singing at the June 16 service. This marked the end of DeReau's first year at UUCCSM as director of music. Photo by Charles Haskell
Benefit Concert for Homeboy Industries
In March Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries was our guest in the pulpit. As I listened to him speak, entranced by his stories of compassion and the healing of connection, I thought about my friend John Flynn.
John has performed at services and concerts here twice in the last few years. He lives in Delaware where he facilitates a weekly group meeting at a local prison as part of the New Beginning program. I have thought for a long time that John should hear about Homeboy Industries and Greg Boyle. When I got home that Sunday, I sat down to send John a message on Facebook. When I opened up his page, what did I find but a post from him talking about “Tattoos On the Heart,” Father Boyle’s book. I told him that I just seen Father Boyle and as we chatted, I asked him if he would like to come out here and perform a small benefit for Homeboy at UUCCSM. John quickly became enthusiastic about the idea and I started talking to Rev. Rebecca, FIA, and the music committee, as well as Jacki Weber, UUCCSM member and Homeboy Industries fund raiser. (See all these serendipitous connections?)
Within a couple of days, John got back to me saying, “Uh, Sue, this thing has kind of grown.” The person who had given John the book just happened to be Kris Kristofferson’s daughter, Kelly. John told her about the concert. She became enthusiastic and thought to ask her father (also a friend of John’s) if he wanted to share the stage with John. Well, one thing led to another and the concert grew larger than UUCCSM could possibly handle in our sanctuary.
The concert is now set to play on June 23 at the Smothers Theater on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus.
Tickets are on sale at http://pepperdinearts.ticketforce.com/ All the proceeds go to Homeboy Industries. None of the performers are taking pay for this one. Father Boyle will be on hand to share some stories.
In acknowledgement of the planting of the seed of this concert, UUCCSM rated a logo on the poster as one of the “presenters” of the concert. It should be a great concert. It is my hope that many of UUCCSM’s members will be filling the seats on June 23.
As a double treat, John Flynn will be our guest in the pulpit Sunday morning on June 23. He is an experienced guest with UU congregations. He will be addressing his work in the prison in Delaware.
Kristofferson, Flynn, and Boyle. It is going to be a fun night. A powerful outcome of letting serendipity and connection hold sway.
— Sue Bickford
Introducing Our New Director of Music, DeReau K. Farrar
On Ingathering Sunday, September 9, UUCCSM's new Director of Music ("DofM"), DeReau Farrar, was introduced at both services, and our choir sang for the first time in the fall after two Thursday evening rehearsals together.
DeReau introduced himself to the DofM Search Committee last May with this message: "My experience in church and sacred music for the past 10 years has been extremely rich and diverse, and I look forward to expanding that knowledge further." A tryout rehearsal with DeReau and our choir was publicly announced for August 23, and the unanimously positive feedback convinced the Search Committee and Rev. Bijur to offer him the position.
DeReau was born in West Covina and grew up splitting time between parents there and in Pasadena. His early
religious life centered in the generally fundamentalist Church of Christ, and later on he carefully examined Christian and Jewish scriptures in his own journey. As an adult he has spent time at the Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, and most recently All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. At this point he feels entirely compatible with and supportive of Unitarian Universalism as he continues his spiritual development.
In music, DeReau has sung professionally off Broadway and with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles
Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers. He has appeared in recitals and
concerts throughout the U.S. and also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. Back in California he has been associated with the Verdi Chorus in Santa Monica since 2003 and became their Assistant Conductor in 2005. He was appointed Artistic Director of the Selah Gospel Choir of Pasadena in 2007 and has led local productions of “TheWiz,“ “Ragtime,” “The Laramie Project,” and music projects at many public and private high schools. In addition to conducting, DeReau plays the piano and is a published arranger of music.
DeReau welcomes everyone's input on music at our church and he plans to spend time on Sunday mornings getting to know as many people as possible. As chair of the DofM Search Committee, I want to say this: DeReau is a remarkable individual with maturity, perspective, and presence way beyond his years. His musicianship is stellar,but his style is casual and collaborative. Hiring him was a unique opportunity and I hope everyone will work with him to maximize the possibilities. There are new roads to travel and it's exciting for us to have an impact on DeReau at this stage in his life. UUCCSM's music program was conducted at a very high level for a decade under Steve Wight, followed by a year of seeking and transition under Seth Houston. I'm confident that music at UUCCSM will evolve further under DeReau's leadership, and enrich our lives in new ways.
— Rob Briner
Report from Music Director Search Committee
After Seth Houston, our 2011-12 Director of Music, announced that he would be moving out of state after completing his contract in mid-June, I was asked to chair the search committee for a Director of Music, who will begin next fall. I said I would, after happily singing in our choir for the first time last fall, but only if a committee was established before the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur's then upcoming family leave in April, May, and June. We recruited Bronwen Jones, a former music committee chair and president; Denise Helton, chair of our personnel committee; and current choir member Alice Jankowiak. A job description was posted on the UU Musician's Network and forwarded to other sites and individuals, and a month later we had received 25 applications from a nearly equal number of men and women. The applicants ranged from 20-something to 60-something, with musical interests and backgrounds from classical to folk to gospel. Prior church experience was UU, Baptist, Jewish, Lutheran, and other denominations. Applicants’ education varied from no college degree to a Ph.D. In June members of the search committee met, agreed on a list of eight finalists, and began to check references.
As of the writing of this update it's been more than a week since the July 8 town hall meeting on the music program, and some additional discussions have occurred with interested members of the congregation and with Rev. Bijur. I'm honored to be a part of this process, and appreciate being introduced to some long-term options for how music at UUCCSM could be expanded — even within the same budget. There are different models that I had never thought of, and I look forward to further congregational consensus building. Rev. Bijur will conduct telephone interviews of all eight finalists, call in four to six for face-to-face interviews with the entire search committee, and continue to seek input from everyone interested in the music program — including past and present choir members — before making a decision.
This process is another example of "Everything is a moving target, and everything is constantly evolving." My feeling is that music at UUCCSM is the third leg of a three-legged stool (ministry and religious education being the others). We should be able to hire someone extraordinary, and I can't wait to meet that person at the first choir rehearsal in late August. The congregation as a whole will meet him or her at In-gathering Sunday, on September 9.
— Rob Briner
Town Hall Meeting: Sun, July 8, 11:30am. Come brainstorm about our music program. Organized by the Music Director Search Committee and the Music Committee. Sanctuary, c/o Rob Briner and Rima Snyder.
From Our Director of Music: Come Sing with the Choir forAdvent Season
As I finish up my secondmonth working with the choirhere at UUCCSM, I feel so luckyto have the opportunity to make such fabulous musicwith such wonderful people. The choir keeps gettingbetter and better and is such a treat to work with.If you've ever thought you'd like to be involved inthe church this way, I hope you'll consider joining usfor the Advent season. We have wonderful musicplanned, culminating in two services on ChristmasEve. If you think you might be interested, please contactRima Snyder or me at rima@dslextreme.com orseth@sethhouston.com.I have also been enjoying working with some of thechildren in our church community during some of the9 a.m. services. We have a delightful small crop ofyoung singers, who sang at the Day of the Dead serviceon October 30.
Yours in music,
Seth Houston
Music Notes
The Saturday Spotlight returnsthis month on November 12 at 7p.m. in the Sanctuary. Theevening will feature entertainmentby church members includingmusical performances, poetryand stories. Anything can happen - drop by andenjoy the show! The magic continues at 8:15 p.m.with An Enchanted Evening, sponsored by theStewardship Committee. For more informationplease contact Tom Ahern.
Louis Durra returns to the stage on Sunday,November 6 at 7 p.m., accompanied by Jerry Kalafon drums and Ryan McGillicuddy on bass. The trioplays jazz standards, original compositions, andinventive interpretations of a myriad of musicalgenres. Suggested donation $10; a reception followsin Forbes Hall.
- Rima Snyder
Last month two musical events were featured in thesanctuary. "Out of the Blue" describe themselves as "YaleUniversity's only coed pop/rock a cappella chorus." OnJanuary 7, they filled the hall with amazing energy, closevocal harmonies and a crowd-pleasing repertoire. Thegroup of 18 students performed their own arrangementsof tunes by Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and others.Even if the repertoire was unfamiliar to some, there wassomething to please everyone. At the end of the evening,Out of the Blue alums Reverend Bijur and her husbandJonathan joined the choir onstage in a rendition of "TheParting Glass," after which all Yale alumni in the audience were invited up to sing the school's alma mater,"Bright College Years." A splendid time was had by all.
On January 9, The Arrogant Doormats played downan innovative set of charts ranging from jazz standardsto songs by Bob Dylan, Tears for Fears, and Alanis Morissette. Our own Louis Durra was joined by long-time fellow musicians Larry Steen on bass and Jerry Kalaf ondrums. If you missed this entertaining evening, you cancatch their next appearance in the sanctuary on Sunday,March 13. They can also be heard every week at theSouth Beverly Grill in Beverly Hills.
Singers Needed
A Celebration Choir will perform at Rev. Bijur’s installationservice on Sunday, February 13, at 3 p.m. Singersare invited to join members of the UUCCSM choir andthe choir of the Unitarian Universalist Church of LongBeach. Learn wonderful music and make a joyful noisecelebrating the installation of our ninth settled minister.Contact the church office to RSVP: e-mailoffice@uusm.org or speak to an office volunteer onSunday morning.
On Sunday, April 5, Roy Zimmerman will be ourguest musician at both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.Roy has been writing satirical songs for 20 years workingin the comedic tradition of Tom Lehrer and the folktradition of Phil Ochs. He is a wonderful performer,nationally known, and often plays at UU churchesaround the country. If you want to hear more, Roy willbe playing at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monicathat same Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. In the meantime,you can check Roy and his music athttp://www.youtube.com/user/RoyZimmerman.
The Louis Durra Trio will be performing April 26 at7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. A reception will follow. Towhet your appetite, here are a few musical thoughtsfrom our very own Mr. Durra:
"Steve Wight once said to me, "Did you ever noticethat the golden age of songwriting was whenever theperson talking was sixteen?" I came up with aneclectic-listening family and music education -classical music, Motown, Big Bands, Santana,The Beatles - were all in the air around me as a smallchild. My horizons became vastly broader when I"grewed up" and was performing all of the time.
"One of the coolest things (ah, yes, coolest - that'sthe technical term) about playing at Ye Olde UUCCSMis the open-nessivity , even demand. for performing inmany different realms of music. Between what thesoloists bring to the first service, Steve's choices andarrangements for the choir, and topical requests forthe services - the musical styles have spread around400 years pretty thick. With the other music going inthat many directions, I'm encouraged to make eclecticchoices for the prelude music. Last week 20th centuryHungarian composer Bela Bart