Another Farewell, with Deep Gratitude
Posted by Keith Atwater
Posted on March 4, 2020
After five wonderful, rewarding, delightful, productive, meaningful years as your Music Director, I shall retire on Father’s Day 2020. Serving you all has been a capstone of my 20 years of part-time (and briefly full-time) church music ministry in several Protestant denominations. Know too that no church music ministry has ever been “just a job.” I will miss you all deeply.
I’ll be ‘returning’ to the foothills community I’ve called home for 29 years — this time without the 80+ mile round trip to my college, our church, and the Sacramento Master Singers. Yes, I’m retiring from that amazing choral group as well. Many have wondered what I’ll be doing. Musically, I’ll be singing baritone in our local Cantare Chorale, starting a foothills community concert band, and strumming and singing seasonally in costume at local Gold Rush State Park and Gold Bug Mine venues. (Camp Norge campfires prepared me well for that!) I’ll be volunteering in my local community (Lotus, Coloma, Placerville) at organizations dear to my heart: American River Conservancy, Peace and Justice, Human Rights, our local homeless dining hall, our library, and serving on my rural neighborhood homeowners’ board.
Spiritually, I’ll be taking a much-anticipated step when I return to Auburn UCC Congregational Church where I was music director, but now for the first time in any church as an active member.
Thank you for all you do and who you are. I’m singing our offertory response (a tune I composed for all of you!) as I share this news. “May the spirit of gratitude bless and multiply all that we have, all that we give, and all that we receive.”
All welcome to join the weekly UUSS Choir rehearsal, Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., in the Fahs Classroom
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More Choir and Instrumental Music Updates
8/2/23
By Rev Roger
Choir Rehearsal to resume in August
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Our wonderful music director and pianist will resume the weekly choir practice later in this …
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from our ministers:
We’re sad to say farewell to Keith but grateful for his very productive and musical five years with UUSS. Our music has grown in diversity and in depth, with many soloists and instrumentalists adding their gifts to Sunday worship—both from the congregation and the wider community. The wonderful UUSS Choir is larger and sings more often than when Keith began, and we have the occasional Chalice Singers too. Keith’s creativity and leadership are matched by his warm welcome to everyone, his deep caring, and his commitment to our mission and values. In the next several weeks we will draft a position description to advertise widely for applicants to interview. We will recruit a hiring team to represent UUSS leadership, singers and instrumentalists. With generous increases in pledges for 2020-21 we hope to add hours to the position and keep our music program growing and thriving. This spring we’ll honor Keith and thank him for his music ministry with us. If you’re interested in helping, please let Rev. Lucy Bunch know. You still have a few months to attend Wednesday choir rehearsals before Keith retires. All welcome!