MUSIC PROGRAM
Music Director
In September 2019, Nigel Goss was hired at Music Director. Nigel brings a wide range of music and musical experience to the Meeting House music program. He has been a keyboard player and bassist in every kind of ensemble from reggae bands to jazz combos to classical orchestras, and has a vast love and appreciation for all facets of music and musicality. In addition to his role at the Meeting House, he teaches music at the Nantucket Community Music Center and the Nantucket Lighthouse School, and can be found performing at various venues all over the island. He brings his love of all kinds of music to the Meeting House and strives for vibrant and eclectic presentations, and collaborates with musicians in the church community as well as guest musicians from the island community.
Welcome to the UU Nantucket Virtual Choir!
We’re so glad you found your way to this page. Since the world events of 2020 have put group singing on hold for the forseeable future, here at the Nantucket UU church we have adapted our skills and talents to the virtual world. Each week, the members of the choir (we have old members, new members, and maybe you?) record two hymns that are broadcast on Sunday mornings for congregants to enjoy and sing along with at home. Nigel employs his skills as a multi-instrumentalist to supplement the usual piano accompaniment, the group meets via Zoom on Thursday evenings, and members record themselves singing along on Friday and Saturday mornings, emailing recordings back Saturday afternoon for mixing. Here are a few of our favorite recordings if you’d like to listen! If you’d like to participate please email us and we’ll be happy to coach you through the process!
Selections from our Christmas Eve Service
Instruments
The church has in its summer sanctuary an historic organ that is renowned for its beautiful tone: the 1831 Goodrich Organ. It was built by Boston organ builder William Goodrich and is the oldest example of his organ building still in its original site which has been in continuous use. In 2010 a restoration project on the organ was completed. It is one of the finest tracker-action organs in America. Goodrich passed his knowledge on to many other organ builders whose organs now are all over New England, such as the Hook Brothers and Appleton. Goodrich died very young, at 53, and so did not get have a chance to build as many organs as his apprentices did. Additional information about this organ at the Unitarian Church is available.
In our summer sanctuary we have a Steinway piano on permanent loan from the Nantucket Arts Council, and downstairs in our winter sanctuary, Hendrix Hall, houses a Yamaha piano.