Roots of Peoples United Methodist Church
Part 54 Music To Our Ears
In the early 1990’s, Peoples Church boasted a strong music program that included people of all ages. Begun in 1982 the Albarjanna Family Bell Ringers were still performing at periodic church celebrations as well as elsewhere. Marita Gould had become the director of this organization when Janet Fifield, the founder of the Ringers, stepped down from the leadership position. Marita was responsible for leading 10 Ringers on these occasions in its tenth year of operation. Those who attended church or a performance were always entertained and inspired whether the ringers were adult or children. Especially meaningful were their performances at Christmas time when they played a variety of carols or at Easter when they played before the service and set a tone for special worship.
With no adult bell choir in 1994 Marita organized 12 young persons to become the bell choir. Membership since that time has fluctuated between adults and children and has had several lapses in operation. Doug Greer since the late ‘90’s has periodically brought the bells out of storage.
Not to be outdone by the Bell Ringers was the Junior Choir under the direction of Hillie Cass. Twenty-one children were listed as members of the Choir in 1992 with that number growing to twenty-four in 1994. The children in the junior choir included most levels of elementary school and also included some that were in middle school. So many young children had joined the choir that there were not enough robes for all. Ellie and Parker Wells donated fabric to make additional robes and Sylvia Hahn was responsible for making that fabric into robes that would match those that already existed. It should also be noted that on a previous occasion with robes being scarce, money was contributed to a fund for robes by selling and dedicating carnations honoring mothers past and present on other’s Day. One has to remember that like their Senior Choir counterparts these young folks sang an anthem every Sunday and most would also be present at choir rehearsals every Thursday after their school day was completed. With children entering the choir at an earlier age many of the anthems had to be learned by heart since some of the children still had difficulty reading. During that period of time Grace Corey assisted Hillie and the children by playing the piano. A break between Sunday school and church was made for the children to practice one last time before their anthem during the Sunday worship service. Children performed well due to their dedication as well as that of Hillie, Grace and Malcolm.
While we have applauded the musical efforts of bell ringers and junior choir the Senior Choir has also served to inspire and to ignite the spirit of the Lord in all of us. In 1987 the Senior Choir celebrated its Seventy-fifth anniversary of continuing operation. It might be noted that celebratory reference the Senior Choir will be 100 years old in 2012! In the mid-90’s 17 members of the adult choir were joined by 10 exceptionally gifted teens in forming the largest Senior choir for many years. Meeting every week for a rehearsal, the choir would follow the rehearsal with an anthem and the leading of music every Sunday from September through June. Soloists and other combinations of singers would fill in the musical needs in the summer. Gracenotes, a woman’s singing group from Peoples and Witness, a group of men frequented the chancel on many Sundays during the summer or at special occasions during the year. It was always inspiring to hear the accapella renditions of Gracenotes and the guitar background of Witness. It was certainly sad in the musical life of Peoples when both of these groups ceased to operate. We were able to bring the members back for a reunion concert when Peoples celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 2003. We can also recall the contributions of families like the Pikes, Doughtys and Arnolds sharing their musical talents on a given Sunday. Instrumentalists also participated in church services and other special occasions. Sara Pike and Andrea Harvey shared their musical talents on flute while David Anton Swanson played the saxophone as did Matt Arnold and Paul Queior. Mike Gray was another extremely talented musician that shared his music by voice, trumpet and piano. Certainly the teens of that time had a tremendous amount of musical talent that included the musical renditions of many including Tim Arnold by voice, piano and trumpet. Amy Tordoff also contributed her dancing talents by creating a spiritual dance to the tune of "Lord of the Dance". One might also remember Meg Queior with her Autoharp sometimes accompanying Gracenotes and sometimes as a solo instrument. While he rarely sang alone, David Hodgkins, surprised an audience with his rich baritone voice.
While David and Wanda were engaged in the musical groups mentioned above they were both instrumental in launching the Stephens Ministry at Peoples. This was a program to train folks to be visitors, visitors to homes and hospitals. David and Wanda had special training in this program. A small cadre of adults joined Dave and Wanda and launched the program. Training included developed knowledge in listening skills that might be used in the homes of parishioners and would include developing some comfort in response to folks that were grieving for a lost member of the family or a friend. There was hope when this program began that teens might also be enlisted in the program.
While Wanda and Dave were with us she was a student at Boston University training to be a diaconal minister. While taking classes in her own program she also served as a counselor to ministerial candidates in the Master’s program at BU. In time Wanda worked to earn her PHD at the same institution and submitted her dissertation titled, "Revitalizing Local Churches: Engaging Congregations in Personal and Social Transformation Through Small Faith Communities." Raising two young children, taking high level courses and serving as the Church Growth Coordinator during part of this time had to be stressful. Some of the activities that Wanda led through Stephens Ministry and the Growth Coordinator position gave her some food for writing. When it came time for Peoples to develop from the Vision 2000 Conference Emphasis and later the church focus group Wanda was instrumental in keeping the direction of these committees focused and on task. While many members of the church may have not had direct knowledge of what was taking place those that worked with Wanda and Bill Schuster knew what directions were being laid and where the church appeared to be going at the end of the 20th century.
As Growth Coordinator, Wanda continued some of the practices that had been instituted by her predecessors and developed some that she thought would be appropriate to fill the gaps of program that always seem to exist. One of those activities was a series of Women’s Retreats. Some women and men had had the experiences of Retreats through the Tres Dies program. There was a group of young women most of whom were mothers of young children who found the spiritual retreats led by Wanda to be helpful in facing the daily tasks of life.
Wanda, in time, might use the experiences of small groups that she initiated and carried out as part of her research in preparing for her final doctoral presentation. Peoples profited greatly by the leadership and direction that Wanda provided. Certainly it would be wrong not to include the support that she sustained from her husband, David.
Wanda and Dave left Peoples for a new home in Scarborough. Wanda was hired by the New England Conference as a Resource Coordinator and continues to serve the Conference in that capacity to the present date.
illie Cass
Part 54 Music To Our Ears
In the early 1990’s, Peoples Church boasted a strong music program that included people of all ages. Begun in 1982 the Albarjanna Family Bell Ringers were still performing at periodic church celebrations as well as elsewhere. Marita Gould had become the director of this organization when Janet Fifield, the founder of the Ringers, stepped down from the leadership position. Marita was responsible for leading 10 Ringers on these occasions in its tenth year of operation. Those who attended church or a performance were always entertained and inspired whether the ringers were adult or children. Especially meaningful were their performances at Christmas time when they played a variety of carols or at Easter when they played before the service and set a tone for special worship.
With no adult bell choir in 1994 Marita organized 12 young persons to become the bell choir. Membership since that time has fluctuated between adults and children and has had several lapses in operation. Doug Greer since the late ‘90’s has periodically brought the bells out of storage.
Not to be outdone by the Bell Ringers was the Junior Choir under the direction of Hillie Cass. Twenty-one children were listed as members of the Choir in 1992 with that number growing to twenty-four in 1994. The children in the junior choir included most levels of elementary school and also included some that were in middle school. So many young children had joined the choir that there were not enough robes for all. Ellie and Parker Wells donated fabric to make additional robes and Sylvia Hahn was responsible for making that fabric into robes that would match those that already existed. It should also be noted that on a previous occasion with robes being scarce, money was contributed to a fund for robes by selling and dedicating carnations honoring mothers past and present on other’s Day. One has to remember that like their Senior Choir counterparts these young folks sang an anthem every Sunday and most would also be present at choir rehearsals every Thursday after their school day was completed. With children entering the choir at an earlier age many of the anthems had to be learned by heart since some of the children still had difficulty reading. During that period of time Grace Corey assisted Hillie and the children by playing the piano. A break between Sunday school and church was made for the children to practice one last time before their anthem during the Sunday worship service. Children performed well due to their dedication as well as that of Hillie, Grace and Malcolm.
While we have applauded the musical efforts of bell ringers and junior choir the Senior Choir has also served to inspire and to ignite the spirit of the Lord in all of us. In 1987 the Senior Choir celebrated its Seventy-fifth anniversary of continuing operation. It might be noted that celebratory reference the Senior Choir will be 100 years old in 2012! In the mid-90’s 17 members of the adult choir were joined by 10 exceptionally gifted teens in forming the largest Senior choir for many years. Meeting every week for a rehearsal, the choir would follow the rehearsal with an anthem and the leading of music every Sunday from September through June. Soloists and other combinations of singers would fill in the musical needs in the summer. Gracenotes, a woman’s singing group from Peoples and Witness, a group of men frequented the chancel on many Sundays during the summer or at special occasions during the year. It was always inspiring to hear the accapella renditions of Gracenotes and the guitar background of Witness. It was certainly sad in the musical life of Peoples when both of these groups ceased to operate. We were able to bring the members back for a reunion concert when Peoples celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 2003. We can also recall the contributions of families like the Pikes, Doughtys and Arnolds sharing their musical talents on a given Sunday. Instrumentalists also participated in church services and other special occasions. Sara Pike and Andrea Harvey shared their musical talents on flute while David Anton Swanson played the saxophone as did Matt Arnold and Paul Queior. Mike Gray was another extremely talented musician that shared his music by voice, trumpet and piano. Certainly the teens of that time had a tremendous amount of musical talent that included the musical renditions of many including Tim Arnold by voice, piano and trumpet. Amy Tordoff also contributed her dancing talents by creating a spiritual dance to the tune of "Lord of the Dance". One might also remember Meg Queior with her Autoharp sometimes accompanying Gracenotes and sometimes as a solo instrument. While he rarely sang alone, David Hodgkins, surprised an audience with his rich baritone voice.
While David and Wanda were engaged in the musical groups mentioned above they were both instrumental in launching the Stephens Ministry at Peoples. This was a program to train folks to be visitors, visitors to homes and hospitals. David and Wanda had special training in this program. A small cadre of adults joined Dave and Wanda and launched the program. Training included developed knowledge in listening skills that might be used in the homes of parishioners and would include developing some comfort in response to folks that were grieving for a lost member of the family or a friend. There was hope when this program began that teens might also be enlisted in the program.
While Wanda and Dave were with us she was a student at Boston University training to be a diaconal minister. While taking classes in her own program she also served as a counselor to ministerial candidates in the Master’s program at BU. In time Wanda worked to earn her PHD at the same institution and submitted her dissertation titled, "Revitalizing Local Churches: Engaging Congregations in Personal and Social Transformation Through Small Faith Communities." Raising two young children, taking high level courses and serving as the Church Growth Coordinator during part of this time had to be stressful. Some of the activities that Wanda led through Stephens Ministry and the Growth Coordinator position gave her some food for writing. When it came time for Peoples to develop from the Vision 2000 Conference Emphasis and later the church focus group Wanda was instrumental in keeping the direction of these committees focused and on task. While many members of the church may have not had direct knowledge of what was taking place those that worked with Wanda and Bill Schuster knew what directions were being laid and where the church appeared to be going at the end of the 20th century.
As Growth Coordinator, Wanda continued some of the practices that had been instituted by her predecessors and developed some that she thought would be appropriate to fill the gaps of program that always seem to exist. One of those activities was a series of Women’s Retreats. Some women and men had had the experiences of Retreats through the Tres Dies program. There was a group of young women most of whom were mothers of young children who found the spiritual retreats led by Wanda to be helpful in facing the daily tasks of life.
Wanda, in time, might use the experiences of small groups that she initiated and carried out as part of her research in preparing for her final doctoral presentation. Peoples profited greatly by the leadership and direction that Wanda provided. Certainly it would be wrong not to include the support that she sustained from her husband, David.
Wanda and Dave left Peoples for a new home in Scarborough. Wanda was hired by the New England Conference as a Resource Coordinator and continues to serve the Conference in that capacity to the present date.
illie Cass
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