News and Views

 
From Rev. Debra Scott

This year marks the 250th  Anniversary of Lovely Lane United Methodist Church, the Mother Church of American Methodism. We are planning to celebrate this year in grand style by having a Choral Festival on Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. in our sanctuary, located at 2200 St. Paul St. in Baltimore. This was the day in 1887 that Dr. John Goucher and the congregation dedicated this new church building as a Centennial Monument to our Methodist denomination with the hope of healing the division of North and South following the Civil War. Construction began in 1884, 100 years after the historic Christmas Conference at Lovely Lane Chapel which birthed our denomination.

Our hope is to have two hundred choristers, on the balcony level, from around our Annual Conference and beyond. We especially invite clergy and members of reconciling congregations to join us. We are so pleased that Dr. Barbara Baker will be our director and Ann Bartlow will be the accompanist. William Murphy, Dr. Nae Pearson, and Ben Boellner will participate at the organ.

Because of the limited rehearsals, singers MUST be able to read music. We are asking that choir directors encourage their best singers to participate. There will be two rehearsals; the first at Colesville UMC, 52 Randolph Road in Silver Spring, on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the second on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Lovely Lane UMC, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. While we are hopeful that participants will want to come to both rehearsals, singers must make at least one of the long rehearsals and the 3 p.m. call on Sunday, Nov. 6^,. All are asked to bring their own lunch on rehearsal days and a black choral folder for the concert. The concert will begin at 4 p.m.

The registration is $30 per singer which includes their music. We will provide music packets for each participant. If paying the registration fee is a hardship, we are asking that: 1) their church or choir will sponsor them (fully or partially); or 2) if this is not possible, they let us know if the registration is a hardship for their participation.

We are asking each individual singer to register by sending the following information to the church email at by Aug. 29: Name, email, cell phone #, Postal address, vocal part: S1, S2, A1, A2, T1,T2 or B1, B2 Church, Choir Director (if applicable), Attend Rehearsals: Oct. 15^th Y/N, Nov. 5^th Y/N. pay by check (send to church address) or by Pay Pal link: www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6XCAKNDBR2CCL

Concert attire will be a simple white long sleeve top, and black bottom. Colorful ties, scarves or reconciling stoles to accent. Participants will be selected by Dr. Baker to achieve balance; 200 sopranos will not make a great choir.

We will have a great time as we join our voices to praise God as we celebrate 250 years of ministry at Lovely Lane UMC.

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Debbie Scott