First Parish Cohasset

At 12:01 am (that’s right – midnight) on May 7th Ron Wallace made the call to Rev. Anita to offer her the position of Interim Minister here at First Parish beginning in August. For Ronnie McMorris, Brain Mozinski and Ron Wallace, this was the end of the rapid fire interim search process only 4 weeks long. During this time candidates were interviewed, references checked, decision criteria developed and the top candidate selected – Rev. Dr. Anita Farber-Robertson.

Rev. Anita is a UUA Accredited Interim Minister who is highly skilled with an energetic consulting style. She believes interim ministry presents a unique opportunity for the congregation to come together and identify the essence of the congregation’s spirit and its story. Rev. Anita has worked as the interim minister with a number of congregations in the Boston area, including Quincy, Cambridge, and Hopedale. She is well known in the Unitarian Universalist community having taught at the Andover Newton Theological School for 10 years and published a book called “Learn While Leading, Increasing Your Effectiveness in Ministry” which is widely used by seminaries here and abroad. Rev. Anita resides in Swampscott and has children and grandchildren in Massachusetts and California.

(Cohasset, MA, March 30, 2010)

First Parish is located on the green at North Main Street, Cohasset, MA 02025.  Admission will be $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and children.

More about the program:

The program is called “The Spirit & The Flesh,” and will feature selections from Palestrina’s Canticum Canticorum; selections from Monteverdi’s fourth book of Madrigali erotici et spirituali; and Duruflé’s Quatre Motets Sur Des Themes Gregoriens, Op. 10: No. 4. The Palestrina selections are among the most beloved of this exquisite composer, who was arguably the most famous musician of his time.  Listeners may also be familiar with the most famous of Duruflé’s motets, his setting of “Ubi Caritas,” which is beloved of choirs everywhere.  Don’t miss this concert of classic choral repertoire!

More about the performers:

The octet specializes in the performance of Medieval and Renaissance a capella music by composers such as Byrd, Gesualdo, and Palestrina, performing at numerous venues in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Most of the singers are featured soloists at churches in both Providence and Boston.  For more information about the ensemble and the singers, go to www.zefiroensemble.com.

For more information about the concert, please contact Allegra Martin at (617) 872-0461.

(Cohasset, MA, March 8, 2010)

More about the program:

Anthology will be performing a number of new folk arrangements that premiered to great acclaim in Boston last November.  In addition to these new arrangements of classic American folk tunes like “Red River Valley” and “Streets of Laredo,” they will also be performing some of their most popular songs, which include jazz arrangements of lullabies, a bit of Tom Lehrer, and even a song sung by a can of tuna.  This concert will show off Anthology at their best and most varied; don’t miss it!

More about the performers:

Anthology is a professional quartet of enchanting women’s voices. Their expansive variety of music is presented with the fine polish of classical training and an effervescent whimsy that rises from an enthusiasm for all styles of performance.  Anthology’s repertoire is a collection of classical choral music, hot jazz, Renaissance polyphony, world folk traditions, and music from the razor’s edge of local Boston compositions. Anthology sings fresh new arrangements of old classics, discovering exciting new repertoire in children’s songs, TV anthems, popular music, and anything that inspires them.  We hope you’ll enjoy Anthology’s eclectic, a cappella four-part delights!  Anthology is Michelle Vachon, Vicky Reichert, Anney Gillotte, and Allegra Martin (who is also the music director of First Parish Cohasset.)

Press quotes:

“The voices of four women resonated throughout Shirley’s Historic Meetinghouse and sent shivers up our spines. We jumped in a unanimous standing ovation…If you ever have the opportunity to hear Anthology perform, run- don’t walk- and bring all your friends because it will blow you away!”

- Dawn McCall for The Shirley Volunteer

“These women know how to rock the house with kickass pop tunes, and make you swoon with their lush purple jazz chords.  They can do it all… Pure tones, ringing chords and astonishing ability to drop from the most unlikely places into a perfect absolute unison.”

David Traugot for The Contemporary A Cappella Society

For more information about the concert, please contact Allegra Martin at (617) 872-0461.

Jim FitzGerald will be Director of Religious Education at First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Cohasset AND First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Scituate

Summer Services are at 9:00 am in the Meeting House. Refreshments provided, along with good converstion. A great way to start your summer Sunday.