Sharing Your Talents
You will find many opportunities to enjoy and create community through the arts here at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester. In addition to the beautiful music and song that are always a part of our Sunday Services, FUSW has a rich tradition of artistic and musical events. Whether you participate as a professional or amateur musician, or audience member, there is a place for you in the arts at FUSW.
You can:
- harmonize in the FUSW Coffee Hour Choir
- rock with the First U Rock & Soul Revue
- strum in the Song Circle
- clap along at the Common Ground Coffee House
- soothe your soul with the Classical and Jazz Concerts
Coffee Hour Choir
Sing and rejoice by joining FUSW’s Coffee Hour Choir, an all-volunteer intergenerational group presenting music of many styles from many different cultures, both sacred and secular, including folk and world music. Although the choir has a "drop-in" policy--the only commitment necessary is to attend at least one of the rehearsals for a particular choir service--we recommend attending rehearsals as often as you can. The choir sings at service, once or twice a month and at holiday services.
Come join us most Sundays in the Meeting Room for a rehearsal before we sing at the service. We always sing early enough in the service that the RE teachers, assistants, children, and teens in our choir community will be able to get to class on time.
Our choir director is Richard Slade and our pianist-in-residence is Diane Guernsey. Read more about our music staff below.
Join us most Sunday mornings at 9:45 in the Sanctuary.
First U Rock & Soul Revue
Rock and rejoice by jamming with The First U Rock & Soul Revue, a band composed of members and friends of FUSW, including youth. The band strives to promote community, fun, and self-expression through the ministry of making music and performing together. The band typically performs several times a year, including at FUSW’s Common Ground Coffeehouse.
Rivertowns Community Sing
Bang on a drum, strum a guitar, or raise your voice with our occasional song circle. We provide Rise Up Singing, a compilation of traditional, folk, and work songs; you provide the music and laughter after services on selected Sundays. Usually meets the last Sunday of the month from 1:00 to 3:00.
Classical and Jazz Concerts
Members of our congregation include many professional and highly talented amateur musicians, including classical and jazz singers, pianists, and instrumentalists. Each year the Music Committee sponsors 1 or 2 concerts where our musicians explore genres, composers, or themes in a variety of fascinating concerts of our own. We also engage in joint ventures with neighboring UU congregations and guest performing artists.
Children and youth are also involved in making music in our annual Young Musicians Concert, as well as performing during Sunday Services.
Music Staff
Pianist-in-Residence, Diane Guernsey
Diane Guernsey is a pianist-in-residence at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester. She is an adjunct faculty member at Manhattanville College, teaching piano and doing vocal coaching. She also accompanies New Rochelle's Sound Shore Chorale and, with fellow FUSW members Paul Gross and Liz Loglisci, is a member of the band Avalanche. She has enjoyed a longtime career as a writer and editor.
Choir Director, Richard Slade
Richard Slade is a performing tenor, voice teacher, and conductor. His busy performance career has included concert and opera tours across America and Europe with NY City Opera, The Western Wind, NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players, the Ensemble for Early Music, and the Yale Whiffenpoofs. He has held adjunct positions at several local colleges and he teaches privately as well. He conducts the Sound Shore Chorale in New Rochelle, the Shira Choir of Sutton Place Synagogue, and is the founder/director of FUSW's Coffee Hour Choir.
You will find many opportunities to enjoy and create community through the arts here at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester. In addition to the beautiful music and song that are always a part of our Sunday Services, FUSW has a rich tradition of artistic and musical events. Whether you participate as a professional or amateur musician, or audience member, there is a place for you in the arts at FUSW.
You can:
- harmonize in the FUSW Coffee Hour Choir
- rock with the First U Rock & Soul Revue
- strum in the Song Circle
- clap along at the Common Ground Coffee House
- soothe your soul with the Classical and Jazz Concerts
Coffee Hour Choir
Sing and rejoice by joining FUSW’s Coffee Hour Choir, an all-volunteer intergenerational group presenting music of many styles from many different cultures, both sacred and secular, including folk and world music. Although the choir has a "drop-in" policy--the only commitment necessary is to attend at least one of the rehearsals for a particular choir service--we recommend attending rehearsals as often as you can. The choir sings at service, once or twice a month and at holiday services.
Come join us most Sundays in the Meeting Room for a rehearsal before we sing at the service. We always sing early enough in the service that the RE teachers, assistants, children, and teens in our choir community will be able to get to class on time.
Our choir director is Richard Slade and our pianist-in-residence is Diane Guernsey. Read more about our music staff below.
Join us most Sunday mornings at 9:45 in the Sanctuary.
First U Rock & Soul Revue
Rock and rejoice by jamming with The First U Rock & Soul Revue, a band composed of members and friends of FUSW, including youth. The band strives to promote community, fun, and self-expression through the ministry of making music and performing together. The band typically performs several times a year, including at FUSW’s Common Ground Coffeehouse.
Rivertowns Community Sing
Bang on a drum, strum a guitar, or raise your voice with our occasional song circle. We provide Rise Up Singing, a compilation of traditional, folk, and work songs; you provide the music and laughter after services on selected Sundays. Usually meets the last Sunday of the month from 1:00 to 3:00.
Classical and Jazz Concerts
Members of our congregation include many professional and highly talented amateur musicians, including classical and jazz singers, pianists, and instrumentalists. Each year the Music Committee sponsors 1 or 2 concerts where our musicians explore genres, composers, or themes in a variety of fascinating concerts of our own. We also engage in joint ventures with neighboring UU congregations and guest performing artists.
Children and youth are also involved in making music in our annual Young Musicians Concert, as well as performing during Sunday Services.
Music Staff
Pianist-in-Residence, Diane Guernsey
Diane Guernsey is a pianist-in-residence at the First Unitarian Society of Westchester. She is an adjunct faculty member at Manhattanville College, teaching piano and doing vocal coaching. She also accompanies New Rochelle's Sound Shore Chorale and, with fellow FUSW members Paul Gross and Liz Loglisci, is a member of the band Avalanche. She has enjoyed a longtime career as a writer and editor.
Choir Director, Richard Slade
Richard Slade is a performing tenor, voice teacher, and conductor. His busy performance career has included concert and opera tours across America and Europe with NY City Opera, The Western Wind, NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players, the Ensemble for Early Music, and the Yale Whiffenpoofs. He has held adjunct positions at several local colleges and he teaches privately as well. He conducts the Sound Shore Chorale in New Rochelle, the Shira Choir of Sutton Place Synagogue, and is the founder/director of FUSW's Coffee Hour Choir.
