Music

Developing and Sharing our Creativity

Music is vital to the life of UUCA

You will find many opportunities to discover, develop and share your creativity:

Clerestory Choir
Our 65-voice choir sings in worship services each Sunday. Also, presents a fall and spring concert of major choral works with orchestra. Recent performances include Magnificat in D and St. Matthew Passion (excerpts) by J.S. Bach; Requiem by Gabriel Faure; Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky; Carmina Burana by Carol Orff; Mozart's Great Minor Mass, and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass. Contact: bob.griffith@uucava.org

Handbell Program
Three performing bell groups that perform at the church and in the Washington metro area. Ages begin first grade through adult. Contact: Melodie Feather, melodie@uucava.org

Youth Choir
Sings in worship services and in outside venues. Open to all young people grades 6 and above. Rehearses Sundays, 12:30-1:15 p.m. Conductor: Bea Ann Phillips, bphillips@bplanning.net.

Chalice Choir
UUCA's children's choir sings in worship services and in outside venues. For Chalice Choir information, contact Bea Ann Phillips, bphillips@bplanning.net.

Second Street Singers
A 22-voice chamber choir, by audition. Contact: Bob Griffith, bob.griffith@uucava.org

Chalice Theatre
This intergenerational activity promotes the creative vision of the church through dramatic arts presentations. Each year a spring musical production is presented. Staged readings are also presented.  Contact: Crystal Black, greatonecd@cox.net

Recital Series
Offers three formal concerts each year.  Performances include a wide range of musical styles, including classical, jazz, big band, folk, and contemporary. Selection is by audition. Contact: Nancy McAleer, nhmcaleer@verizon.net

Coffee House
An evening of intergenerational music, poetry, humor, and other creative expressions held three times a year. Contact: Beth Rager, beth.rager@accenture.com

Solo Performances
Skilled musicians with solo performing experience are encouraged to participate in Sunday services. Contact: Bob Griffith, bob.griffith@uucava.org

Music Committee Chair:
Eric Ackerman, eackerman@eei.org

Music Director Bob Griffith joined the staff at UUCA in August, 2002, after serving as Music Director at the First Unitarian Church ("The Church of the River") in Memphis, Tennessee.

Bob's professional conducting credits include the Aspen Summer Music Festival Choral Institute, The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Opera Theatre, Mississippi Opera Association, Southern Opera Theatre and Arkansas Symphony.

As Music Director and Principal Conductor for Opera Memphis, 1976-1980, Bob led performances that included Metropolitan Opera artists Beverly Sills, Sherrill Milnes, Spiro Malas, Jerome Hines, Felicia Weathers, and Justino Diaz.

As assistant conductor and/or pianist, Bob has worked with leading conductors and composers including Robert Shaw, Richard Bonynge, Aaron Copland, Samuel Adler and George Rochberg.

For 30 years (1969-1999), Bob was a music professor at The University of Memphis, where he conducted the Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Theatre.

Bob has a master's degree in Orchestra Conducting from Indiana University, with a minor in music history. His undergraduate degree is in Piano Performance, with minors in voice and organ.