We welcome Third Practice as our final guest ensemble of the Music @ Westmoreland Season! Their mission is to bridge the gap between traditional classical and contemporary music through thoughtful and adventurous programming that explores the close connections between today's music and the music of the past. Third Practice is named after a term for the late style of composer Claudio Monteverdi, in which he is said to have fused elements of the older "first practice" with the contemporary "second practice," creating a rich new musical language.

Celebrated composer and Baltimore native Jasmine Barnes has drawn on the poetry of fellow Baltimorean Frances Ellen Watkins Harper for Songs for the People, a new work written for Third Practice and inspired by Bach’s Cantata 150 “Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich.” The two works are performed side-by-side by the voices of Third Practice and an ensemble of baroque instruments. Additional works by Anton Bruckner, Trevor Weston, Isabella Leonarda and Dietrich Buxtehude round out this unique program.

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Donations to the Third Practice BIPOC Composers Commission Fund accepted.

Our Mission is to Support Justice, Create Beauty, and Build Community through music

  • [Parlor] Join us in the cozy Westmoreland Parlor for an intimate evening of spoken word and music, featuring writers from across the country from the God Is Still Speaking Writer's Group of the United Church of Christ. They'll be accompanied with musical interludes from Westmoreland music director Alec Davis and cellist Stephen Czarkowski. Admission is free

    God Is Still Speaking: The Writers’ Group provides an impactful ministry through writing, with resources including the Daily Devotional, annual Advent/Lenten devotionals, and other materials developed for congregations. Print resources from the Writers’ Group are available for purchase through The Pilgrim Press. Learn more:

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    Vince Amlin (he/him/his) is co-pastor of Bethany UCC, Chicago, and co-planter of Gilead Church Chicago.

    Molly Baskette (she/her/hers) is the lead pastor of First Church Berkeley UCC and the author of a number of books about church renewal, parenting, spiritual growth, and more.

    Quinn G. Caldwell (he/him/his) is a United Church of Christ minister and the co-author, with Curtis J. Preston, of The Unofficial Handbook of the United Church of Christ.

    Kaji Douša (she/her/hers) is the Senior Pastor of The Park Avenue Christian Church, a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, in New York City.

    Matthew Laney (he/him/his) is the Senior Pastor of Virginia Highland Church UCC in Atlanta, GA.

    Phiwa Langeni (they/he) is the Ambassador for Innovation & Engagement of the UCC; they are also the founder of Salus Center, the only LGBTQ resource and community center in Lansing, MI.

    Kenneth L. Samuel (he/him/his) is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

    Christina Villa (she/her/hers) is Philanthropy/Communications Consultant at The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, New York, NY.

    Donna Schaper (she/her/hers) is Pastor at the Orient Congregational Church on the far end of Long Island. Her books include I Heart Francis and Remove the Pews.

    Rachel Hackenberg (she/her/hers) is Publisher for The Pilgrim Press and Faith-forming Publications, including editorial support to the Stillspeaking Writers’ Group.

  • [Social Hall] A casual living-room style concert with couches and rugs, food and wine; this Saturday-before-Thanksgiving program will feature music about food and fellowship, including Eric Whitacre’s “Animal Crackers” and PDQ Bach’s farcical Oratorio “The Seasonings”

    The rest of the program will run like a liederabend, with various food-related works from soloists and small ensembles, including friends of WFC such as Laura Choi Stuart, Rachel Evangeline Barham, Alyssa Stanton, Shauna Kreidler Michels, Alden Michels, James Rogers, and cellist meastro Stephen Czarkowski.

    The whole evening will be hosted and cosponsored by Westmoreland's Board of Membership and Fellowship, as we appreciate each other's company and celebrate the coming holiday season. The concert is free to all, but we will collect a free-will offering to support a local food bank, taking care to support those in our own community for whom food is not guaranteed.

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  • [Sanctuary] Our traditional Sunday of Advent with brass and Willcocks Carols! Join Sunday morning worship and bring your singing pipes.

  • [Sanctuary] A tremendous cohort of instrumentalists and singers will host a whole weekend of concerts featuring music by Holst and three of his most prolific students (who happen to be women).

  • [Sanctuary] This will be our second annual Jean Lutterman concert, celebrating her commitment to music, the gift of her piano in our Sanctuary, and an opportunity to appreciate the full artistic range of our music staff.

  • [Sanctuary] The Festival Chorus will be joined by guest musicians for a program featuring Eleanor Daley’s gorgeous Requiem setting. The Saturday performance will be off-site, and there will be an encore performance the following Sunday morning for an in-service Lenten performance.

  • [Sanctuary] Of course, all of Lent and Holy Week will feature powerful and beautiful music; join us on Easter Sunday with MBQ and joyful Alleluia!

  • [Sanctuary] Vocal Ensemble 3P are crafting a program comprising Bach’s Cantata 150 and the World premiere of a new piece by Jasmine Barnes, as the inaugural commission from their new BIPOC Commission Fund.

  • [Sanctuary] Who doesn’t love the epic Carmina Burana? We’ll have many guest musicians for this tremendous work, also featuring music for two-pianos (as many as 8 hands!)