Dear Members and Friends,
As you may know, Rev. Ed Thompson shall retire at the end of December. Music is such an important component of our congregational life, and we have several events planned to celebrate Ed and his music ministry. Most notably, on November 16th, the professional group Choral Chameleon will present an evening of Rev. Ed’s music. I encourage you to mark your calendars for this special event.
To carry on our robust music program, I formed a search committee to identify an Interim Director of Music to serve from January through June 2025. Many of you participated in our “Conversations about Music” this summer, sharing your hopes and ideas for the music program. Thanks for adding your voice and helping to define our way forward. Here are some of the things we heard:
- Music is a vital part of our congregational life at UUWestport.
- We want our Director of Music to be a warm and engaging team player.
- We want our Director of Music to create a safe environment where congregants can find their voices through singing and bring forth their musical talents.
- We enjoy a wide variety of music presentations including guest musicians.
- We want our music program to attract people to UUWestport and to appeal to youth and young people.
- We appreciate the artistry and repertoire of the choirs and professional musicians.
- We want all the more vibrant congregational singing—and a director who joyfully leads.
- We want to have fun creating music together.
The job description is based on what we heard from you. Find it HERE. Please share it. We have posted it in several places and will accept applications from candidates through September. I intend to make a final decision by the middle of October.
The next step will be to identify our permanent Director of Music who will join us September 2025. I will form a Director of Music Search Team in the next few weeks that reflects the diversity of our congregation. Using the UUA guidelines, the committee will begin a national search in the new year.
We will have ample opportunities for the congregation to provide more input and feedback. The search team will work with me as we consider candidates, and I will make a decision to hire the permanent director in the spring.
Thank you for your engagement and support as we move through this important process.
Warmly,
Rev. Alan Taylor
