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On June 25th, we will gather to worship God, to whom all creation sings its praises, through CUC's 80th annual Music Sunday service. Our choir will raise prayer and praise with multiple selections, guest musicians and friends from times past will join us, and all of our voices will be raised in worship through song. Following the service, the Choir will host our time of conversation and refreshments with their annual treat of strawberry shortcake and other goodies!

80th MUSIC SUNDAY – JUNE 25, 2023

Prior to the formation of The United Church of Canada in 1925—and thus the inauguration of Cloverdale United Church through the merger of the Cloverdale Methodist Church and the Cloverdale Presbyterian Church—our archives have records of the Methodist choir in 1919 when the church was still located on the main street of Cloverdale.  Harold Wooster was the choir director.  Jane Taylor, always known as Jean, was a member and in 1943 she proposed setting aside the last Sunday in June for a special music service before summer recess, a tradition that has continued uninterrupted for 80 years.

Born in Belfast, Ireland, Jean came from a family of 9 and her father conducted the Presbyterian choir using only a tuning fork as there were no instruments.  Jean learned to sing using solfege, the system of syllables representing music intervals given any starting note in any key – you know solfege as "Do, Re, Mi."

In 1946 Jean succeeded Mr. Wooster as director of the Cloverdale United Church Choir. Jean also founded the Cloverdale United Church Junior Choir.  In the 40s, her young ladies community choir performed in the local opera house and even sang on a radio program sponsored by S. Bowell & Sons. 

Jean retired in 1966 and daughter Shirley Taylor Barker became the director until her untimely death in January 1978.  Dora Rogers, pitched in for a short while after sister-in-law Shirley’s death until Dave Proznick was hired.  Dave spent the next 10 years at Cloverdale, followed by Steve Johnston in 1988, Tim Bailey in 1998 and Sharon Lauze in 2008.  After Sharon resigned in August 2020, for the next year Dianne Nichols provided worship music along with a group of 8 dedicated choir members who practised behind plexiglass shields in the sanctuary to record anthems for weekly online services per Covid protocol. Regular choir rehearsals resumed in September 2021 with the arrival of our new Music Director Dr. Emma Rui-Xuan Shi.  

In addition to all these choir leaders, we also have a long history of organists and pianists: Harold Wooster in the 40s, followed by Edna Peck in the 50s, Berna Warne, wife of Rev. Max Warne and May George.  Beth Scott (Leuillier-Rowles) graced Cloverdale for 28 years from 1963-1991.  Pat Patterson played during the 1970s as well.  Grace Gauthier played during the Johnston years as well as singing at church functions.  Tim played both organ and piano during his tenure.   Now each week we all enjoy the wonderful piano music that Emma plays on our beautiful Bechstein piano.

The CUC Choir has maintained an active musical life through the years including singing at Zion Manor, community Christmas carolling, mass choir events such as the one in support of 9-11 victims, gospel music workshops, Remembrance Day services, weddings, funerals and memorials, not to mention a decade of thematic Spring Concerts.  Pre-Covid 2019-2020, the Cloverdale and Langley United choirs combined to perform a Christmas cantata on successive Sundays for each congregation. Cloverdale Choir held a Christmas concert in December 2021 as well as hosting and participating in Carols in the Country with the Hazeltones this past December.

For Music Sunday this year, we are also delighted to have congregants from our Korean Intercultural ministry/English Language Learning groups singing a beautiful song in Korean and English: they have been practising for the past month.

As we celebrate this 80th Anniversary, we extend a special welcome to past choir members and musicians and especially to members of Jean Taylor’s family who will be present—grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. 

In keeping with the other very important Music Sunday tradition, the choir invites everyone downstairs for strawberry shortcake, coffee and tea after the service.

(notes from Judy Cook & Dianne Nichols)