Music at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington reflects the diversity of our community, our city, and our world. It is an important and enriching part of life at FUUSB and an essential aspect of our Sunday services.

Our Choir

We rehearse every Wednesday, September through mid-June, from 7:15 – 8:45 p.m. No audition is required to join. You do not need to know how to read music, but a good ear for matching pitch and joy for music-making is desirable.

For more information on how to get involved in our Music Ministry, please email Liam Hart, Director of Music, at [email protected]. Or you can show up on a Wednesday night a little early, introduce yourself, and you can check out if this is a good match for you.

Other Music at First UU

Throughout the year, we are fortunate to receive the musical gifts of congregants who offer them in service of our wider congregational life. During the summer and at other times, musically-inclined congregants often perform as part of our worship services.

On the first Friday of each month, a group of congregants across ages come together to create community, connection, and belonging through music, spoken word and other forms of artistic expression. We call this the First Friday Coffeehouse, 7 – 9pm – be sure to check the congregational calendar to make sure of the exact date, as it sometimes changes.

About Our Organ

Our Colby organ was dedicated in 2006, just a year after a successful fundraising effort to provide an organ for this century. It’s the fifth one in use in the Meeting House. The first was purchased in Boston and transported here by sleigh at the time the Meeting House was built. It was replaced in 1845 by an organ built by Henry Erben of New York.

In 1863, a Johnson organ was installed, said to be one of the finest organs in the country and one of the largest. The Johnson served faithfully for ninety years before it was replaced in 1954 by an Austin organ. Pipes from the Johnson were utilized in the Austin, and these pipes were again installed in the present Colby organ, thus maintaining a musical connection extending back to the Civil War era.

Consisting of three manuals plus pedal, over 1100 pipes in two divisions, and enhanced by modern digital technology, the organ provides support for congregational singing, enrichment of services, weddings and memorials, and opportunity for virtuoso concert performances.