MUSIC AT SOMESVILLE UNION MEETING HOUSE
MUSIC FOR WORSHIP
The SUMH Choir sings at the Sunday morning worship services in the fall, winter, and spring. The choir rehearses in the church at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays. The choir performs repertoire in a variety of styles from the Renaissance to the present, including classics, spirituals, and contemporary anthems in a popular idiom.
New members are always welcome. Music-reading ability is helpful but is not a requirement. Repertoire is generally prepared two or three weeks in advance, so rehearsal time is ample. If you are interested in joining, please contact our Director of Music, Dr. Jamie Hagedorn.
During the summer SUMH hosts guest musicians each week at the Sunday morning service. These include visiting choirs, the Acadia Handbell Choir, and vocal and instrumental soloists ranging from award-winning student musicians to members of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. The SUMH "summer choir" also sings once in July and once in August.
Our summer concert series, inaugurated in 2010, features afternoon performances by a variety of local groups and soloists, as well as visitors from Boston. This season's performers included Jamie Hagedorn and Deborah Govenor (piano and organ), cellist Ashima Scripp, and Gilbert & Sullivan A la Carte.
PERSONNEL
Our Director of Music, Dr. Jamie Hagedorn, joined our staff in November 2007. She is also Music Director of the Acadia Choral Society. She performs extensively as a pianist and conductor in the Downeast and Midcoast area. She is a member of the Maine Music Teachers Association and teaches piano and voice at her home in Ellsworth. A native of West Virginia, Jamie received her Doctor of Music degree in 1984 from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. She taught in Northwestern’s Department of Voice and Opera from 1985 to 1992. She was the full-time Director of Music at Old St. Mary's in Chicago from 1998 to 2005.
INSTRUMENTS
Our instruments are a Mason & Hamlin "A" Series grand piano, purchased in November 2009, and a Rodgers 205 pipe/electronic organ donated in 2010. The cost of the piano was covered by a generous private donation soon after the purchase. The cost of moving and installing the organ was covered by a $2,500 "Resourcing the Local Church" Grant, awarded by the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ in October 2010.