First Church in Middletown to host Candlelight Christmas Concert

MIDDLETOWN, CT - First Church in Middletown, UCC, Congregational is pleased to announce the date and time of their Annual Candlelight Christmas Concert that will be held on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 4pm at First Church. Come listen and enjoy some beautiful Advent and Christmas pieces sung by the Church’s two choirs, the Celebration Singers and the Senior Choir. As well as pieces preformed by the Heart in Hand Bell Choir and the Court Street Singers in addition to a few soloists. The Minister of Music, Shari Lucas along with the Music Committee of First Church helps organize and run this wonderful event every year. A reception is to follow after the concert. Recent pieces preformed at previous concerts include, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, See the Little Baby, In the Bleak Midwinter and many others. The Celebration Singers and the Senior Choir are the two vocal choral groups that have singers with the vocal ranges of Alto, Soprano, Tenor and Bass, the current membership of both Choirs are individuals who range from the ages of 22 to 70. The Court Street Singers is a male sextet who sing in the vocal ranges of Tenor and Bass the current group leader is Mr. Curtis Weybright of Middlefield. The Heart in Hand Bell Choir is the only non-vocal choir group and they play bells that have a note range of A to G and current members range from the ages of 30 to 70. Ms. Shari Lucas of Niantic has been the Minister of Music at First Church in Middletown since 2003, she is a graduate of both the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music of Berea, Ohio and Yale School of Music of New Haven, Connecticut. She mainly studied the Organ but has also studied the Piano, Harpsicord and African Drumming. She even played Trombone in her High School Marching Band. Shari is originally from New Jersey and has now lived in Connecticut a number of years, when she is not playing the Church’s Austin Organ she can be found playing the Keyboard in the Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band. This concert is free and open to the public; however, the Church will take any monetary donations if you feel moved to donate. First Church in Middletown was founded in 1668 and started off as a puritan protestant church when Middletown was founded. The Church elected to join the United Church of Christ, which is the current denomination of the church in 1952. In 1993, it became an Open and Affirming Church which meant that First Church toke a step in offering a radical welcome to people who are usually marginalized and oppressed. For more information about the Concert, please contact, Shari Lucas via e-mail at shari.lucas@sbcglobal.net or the First Church in Middletown Office at (860) 346-6657 or via e-mail at firstchurchucc@sbcglobal.net .

Author’s Bio: Mr. Anthony R.J. Moran is a Member of First Church in Middletown, UCC, Congregational and is a Tenor voice in the Celebration Singers and he serves as the Administrative Co-Head Deacon at First Church. To reach Anthony, please e-mail him at arjmoran@gmail.com with any questions or comments. (Photo Credit: Abbamondi Studios, LLC)