Part 2

Part 2

Part 2

Music

O sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

— Psalm 96:1

frobenius at fifty:
a fundraising campaign for the organ

It’s often said that “those who sing pray twice.” At First Church, music has always been an integral part of worship, starting with the tradition of psalm singing that the Puritans brought with them to New England. This led to the printing of the new metric psalm translation known as the Bay Psalm Book in 1640 right here in Cambridge, the first book printed in the British colony. For us, music continues to be one of the best forms of praise, revealing our relationship with God and each other in the practice of a universal human activity. Through our singing and playing our community celebrates and affirms our bonds in song and story.

Learn more about the history of our hymnal, organ, and ongoing music projects.

Because of the beauty and superior acoustics of our sanctuary and chapel, we host a wide variety of musical performances presented by a number of Greater Boston’s performing organizations, many of whom call First Church their performing home. To inquire about hosting a concert at First Church, please visit Building Use. To attend an upcoming concert, visit our Calendar.

Our Music Programs

a choir director and a church choir

First Church Choir

The First Church Choir is an all-volunteer group that sings for most Sunday services throughout the year. We rehearse on selected Thursday nights from September through May, as well as on Sunday mornings before the service. Participation is encouraged for those who can read music, hold a part, and be reasonably faithful in attendance. The repertoire of the Choir is incredibly diverse, including Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphonic motets, Baroque cantatas, Romantic era choral works, and music written in the 20th and 21st centuries. A special gift to our repertoire is music composed especially for the choir by Staff Composer Patricia Van Ness, Music Director Peter Sykes, members of the Choir, and others. We sing for the most part in the original language of the work: Latin, French, German, English, and occasionally Swedish and Zulu! Not limited to Western classical music, our repertoire also includes shape-note music, spirituals, West Gallery music, and African choral music. Occasionally, the Choir is joined by instrumentalists for presentations of special choral works for Advent, Easter, or other special holidays.

a woman conducts a multigenerational group of singers in the sanctuary

Family Choir

Singers of all ages are welcome to join the Family Choir. Adults and children together learn a simple musical piece to share with the congregation on special Multigenerational Worship occasions, such as All Saints, Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter. The repertoire has included African freedom songs and lullabies, early American folk songs and contemporary pieces. Family Choir usually sings three Sundays per year and meets for several 10 a.m. rehearsals prior to singing in morning worship. The Family Choir has been on hiatus since the pandemic, but stay tuned for new opportunities in the coming months.

candles on a table at night

Night Song - A Divine Time Out

Night Song is a hybrid offering of First Church for in-person attendance in the sanctuary and viewing via live stream or listening at another time on the Night Song YouTube channel. Night Song is a worship opportunity that offers stillness and sublime music in a darkened sanctuary for respite and reset. We all need time set aside from the demands of daily life and the issues facing our community and our world. A regular time to be still, to find clarity and purpose, and to center ourselves for the coming week. You’ll leave breathing more deeply and recharged to engage with your world.

Night Song is our contemporary name for the ancient monastic compline liturgy, held before retiring for the night. The general themes are spiritual peace, deep silence, reflection over the day, rest, sleep, the comfort of darkness, trust, and protection. The music you will hear at Night Song is primarily unaccompanied singing of ancient and modern chant along with choral pieces, punctuated with periods of silence. While Christian in content, many of the texts are sung in Latin, and people of other faiths find it appealing as well.

For complete information about every aspect of the Night Song experience visit the Night Song website.

LIVESTREAM NIGHT SONG

DONATE TO NIGHT SONG