Our Choir

The First Universalist choir performs a wide variety of classical and contemporary selections during the Sunday service from September to June. In addition, the choir usually presents a program of works on one Sunday in early December that takes the place of the sermon for that week. Choir rehearsal is every Sunday at 9am, and all who enjoy singing are welcome to join.

First Universalist is especially grateful to have Keith Stott, a living composer in its congregation. Please watch this video of our choir performing a musical version of our Affirmation of Faith:

Eastman at Washington Square

Lunchtime concerts presented by the Eastman School of Music take place here at First Universalist every Thursday during the school year, beginning at 12:15pm and running for roughly half an hour. Brown bag lunches are welcome during the performance; admission is free.

The complete schedule and more can be found at the Eastman Community Music School website.

Our Music Committee

The music committee is a part of our Worship Ministry which works with the director of music to plan a variety of music for the church year. Among other things, the committee is involved with the planning of the annual Choir Sunday held in early December.

Our Pipe Organ

Robert Hope-Jones is not exactly a household name. In his own lifetime and since, he was a controversial figure; but his genius for electrical engineering is undeniable. His innovations in organ building have profoundly influenced the history of the instrument in the 20th century. First Universalist is very fortunate to be connected with the Hope-Jones legacy in a very significant way, for it possesses one of the few surviving Hope-Jones organs in its original form, and here one can see first-hand many of the contributions that he made to the organ world.

A much more bizarre and unwholesome connection also links First Universalist with this innovative organbuilder: frustrated with unwelcome developments in his professional life, Robert Hope-Jones travelled to Rochester with the express intention of ending his own life in the choir loft of this very building. Thwarted, but determined, he merely moved on to another building, where his unfortunate quest succeeded.

To see the specifications of the Hope-Jones, Opus 2, 1908 organ, please click here.