"Elbows Up!" A FirstU Choral Concert
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Sunday, December 7, 2025
1:00pm in Worship Hall By Donation ($20 suggested) Join the choirs of First Unitarian Ottawa for a memorable concert celebrating Canadian songwriters and composersfrom coast to coast. Music will range from folk tunes, to Oscar Peterson, to excerpts from beloved Canadian choral masterworks like Eleanor Daley's Requiem and Sarah Quartel's Snow Angel. Come early and enjoy a light lunch served at noon in Fellowship Hall. |
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Childcare is available for those who register in advance: Please contact [email protected]
by Friday, December 5 to ensure your child's spot.
FirstU Food Cupboard Benefit Concert
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A project of the Justice and Equality Action Group, the FirstU Food Cupboard provides groceries to our friends and neighbours who are struggling to make ends meet, especially now, when the temperature is dropping and people need to dedicate more of their monthly income to keeping the heat on.
Bring your friends and stay after the concert to enjoy some seasonal cheer!
Admission is by donation.
Pay what you can. Every little bit helps!
Bring your friends and stay after the concert to enjoy some seasonal cheer!
Admission is by donation.
Pay what you can. Every little bit helps!
our music directorJennifer ("Jenn") Berntson became FirstU's Music Director on August 16, 2021.
She is also the Artistic Director of Aella Choir, and conducted the Ottawa Children’s Choir for seven years. She believes in the transformative power of singing to build community, inspire personal and spiritual growth, and create social change. Here is an example of Jenn's work (do note the full length is 16 minutes). She holds a BMus in Voice from Mount Allison University and an MA in Music and Culture from Carleton University, where she researched collective music-making as an expression of protest. |
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choirs at firstu
Join a FirstU Choir - Come Sing With Us!
Our choirs are always looking for new voices and there is a place for everyone to sing at FirstU!
Our choirs are always looking for new voices and there is a place for everyone to sing at FirstU!
- Fusion Choir rehearses on Monday afternoons, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
- Three Rivers Singers meets on Wednesday afternoons, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
- Chalice Choir meets on Thursday nights, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
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Chalice Choir is a mixed-voice choir open to anyone interested in choral music and able to commit to attending weekly rehearsals! We value social connection, dedication to musical development, laughter and learning.
Chalice Choir’s repertoire is as wide-ranging and diverse as our UU sources, including sacred music from different faith backgrounds, traditional/folk music from around the world, and arrangements of popular music. Choir members come from a variety of backgrounds and levels of singing experience, but share a love of making music and being in community with each other. Chalice Choir is a great place to begin your singing journey. Anyone is welcome to join a rehearsal at 7:00 on Thursdays nights - enter through the basement parking lot door and come up to Worship Hall to say hello! Fusion is a mixed-voice chamber choir for experienced choral singers; we like to sing music that challenges and excites us from any genre, but with a special interest in jazz!
We spend time in rehearsal working on the finer details of choral blend, diction, tuning, and other nuances. We are an auditioned group; prospective members should have significant choral experience, be able to learn music quickly, and be confident holding their own part in music with a lot of vocal divisi. |
Three Rivers Singers is a small, upper voice ensemble of sopranos and altos who believe music can inspire us to action, and move us towards a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.
Our repertoire reflects the rich diversity of human experiences and perspectives, with an emphasis on music written by women and texts that center women’s voices and stories. We primarily perform a capella music, without the support of a piano or other instruments. We are an auditioned group open to women and gender diverse people; some musical experience and the ability to learn music (by ear or by reading notes) is necessary, as well as a commitment to attend weekly rehearsals. The FirstU House Band welcomes instrumentalists and vocalists to participate in Sunday services and other FirstU events, with a focus on contemporary folk, rock, country music. All levels of ability and experience are welcome.
Please contact [email protected] for more information. 
Fusion Choir in rehearsal with Jenn
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