Music at First Parish in Cohasset plays an important role in the ministry of the church. It offers an opportunity for our members and children to participate in the creation of something beautiful and it enhances our spiritual joining at our Sunday services.

Adult Choir

Our adult choir provides music for our worship services almost every week. They are also called on from time to time to provide their talents to other events, such as the annual Martin Luther King Breakfast, union services held with local UU churches, and at the solemn occasion of memorial services for our cherished members.

The music of First Parish is a rich blend of the traditional and an eclectic mix drawn from a vast array of genres, including Gospel, African, Hebrew, jazz, pop, and Broadway. Our choir might sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus at Easter and a traditional African song two weeks later.

Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 and for one hour before Sunday services. All are heartily welcome to join the choir, whatever their level of expertise. Anyone interested should contact Mary Beth Courtright, our Music Director.

Children’s Choir

First Parish is in the process of reinstituting its Children’s Choir. The choir will rehearse on Sunday mornings from 11:15 am until noon and will perform for the congregation at about four services a year. The age range is about 8-13 and we sing rounds, hymns and other songs, learn how to use our singing voices, learn how to read music and sometimes play instruments as well. This program will be open not just to the children of First Parish, but to any children of the community. Please keep an eye on our news posts for information o this upcoming program. Anyone interested should contact Mary Beth Courtright, our Music Director.

Hand Bells

First Parish owns a three-octave set of Whitechapel bells. The handbell choir is currently on hiatus.

Our Organ

On Sundays the Meeting House is filled with the glorious music of an 1892 George S. Hutchings & Co. Opus 274 pipe organ. The organ underwent a substantial rebuilding in 1970 and has been maintained in excellent working condition since.

For organ lovers, here’s some technical information. The organ has 2 manuals, 3 divisions, and 21 stops. The manual compass is 61, the pedal compass is 30. The manuals have a mechanical connection from key to chest, the pedalboard does not.

Stoplist:

Great Division
Diapason 8’
Stillflote 8’
Waldflote 4’
Octave 4’
Super Octave 2’
Mixture II
Trumpet 8’

Swell Division
Bourdon Treble 16’
Bourdon Bass 16’
Stopped Diapason 8’
Viola 8’
Celeste 8’
Principal 4’
Flageolet 2’
Sesquialtera II
Oboe 8’

Pedal Division
Subbass 16’
Gedeckt 8’ (Subbass extension)
Principal 8’ (pipes located outside case on either side)
Choralbass 4’ (pipes located outside case on either side)
Posaune 16’
(Great Trumpet extension)
Trumpet 8’ (Great)