work was proof of their craftsmanship.Music is an important part of worship at First Parish Church in Taunton. In addition to its magnificent Hook Organ (see description below), First Parish also houses two Steinway grand pianos which complement the beautiful sanctuary and intimate chapel. From 16th century organ works to contemporary spirituals, music at First Parish strives to be inclusive, varied, and inspiring. A typical Sunday morning worship service features a diverse mix of instrumental music, vocal solos, and congregational hymns.
In the Western church, the Reformation brought the voices of the entire congregation into religious music. At first accompanied by stringed instruments, the organ eventually became the accepted instrument of accompaniment, establishing the need for organ builders. Elias (1805-81) and George G. (1807-80) Hook were the sons of a Salem, Massachusetts cabinetmaker. In 1824 the brothers were accepted as apprentices to James Goodrich of Boston, a reputable organ builder of his day. Three years later the Hook brothers established their own shop where for the next forty years they produced about six hundred large and small organs. The demand for their work was proof of their craftsmanship.
Early in the 1860s James H. Sproat approached several friends about the need for a new organ in First Parish Church. His enthusiasm resulted in contracting with the Hook brothers for a two-manual mechanical action organ with twenty-one stops. Installed in 1864 at a cost of $4,500.00, it was a commendable effort by the people whose nation was divided in a Civil War. Families left at homes by men in uniform were having difficulty supplying sustenance for themselves, and a new organ was not their first priority.
There are now several Hook organs in use - three of them in Taunton. In addition to First Parish, the St. Mary's Church has a three-manual and St. John's Episcopal Church has a small two-manual organ. An early one-manual Hook organ may also been seen in the Berkley Congregational Church. It is estimated there may be at least a dozen Hook instruments in Massachusetts. The largest and best known, recently restored, is in Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
The First Parish Hook organ has had several changes since 1864. The W.B. Williams Co. added some of the romantic stops in 1914. When the organ was electrified in 1949 by the E.M. Skinner Co., a new console and several stops were added. Within ten years of that work, the organ required major repairs. In 1960 a contract with the Williams Organ Service, Inc. resulted in the expenditure of $7,450.00 for a new two-manual console and a standard American Guild of Organists' pedalboard, plus new stops that replaced the old Hook - all of which to make the
organ more flexible. Unfortunately, the electric action did not survive its life expectancy, and in 1987 the Roache Organ Co. of Taunton was contracted to recreate the spirit of the original Hook organ. The instrument is once again a mechanical action organ with the original Hook pipes retained and new pipework added to make the organ complete.
First Parish is grateful to the past and present generations who have concerned themselves with the Hook organ, particularly to the Women's Alliance and the Couples Club, and other individuals who have contributed to support this wonderful instrument.
First Parish Church currently employs a music director plus three alternating soloists who provide beautiful anthems and solos for Sunday morning worship services.
Raised in Northampon, MA, Kaeza is a pianist, composer and choral director who grew up in a family of professional musicians. Kaeza's keyboard experience includes solo, chamber and orchestral performances. For many years she served as Musician at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst in Amherst, MA and has frequently substituted at sacred services across New England. She has
accompanied vocalists at Smith College, New England Conservatory, Boston University and the Boston Lyric Opera. In addition, she has been music director of theatrical productions such as Alice in Wonderland and Grease. Her choral accompaniment engagements have included the Pioneer Valley Symphony Chorus, Western Districts Music Festivals and the Plymouth Festival of the Arts.
As a composer, Kaeza focuses on vocal music but enjoys instrumental composition as well. Recent premières include a puppet opera, a vocal setting of the Seventh Blessing and a string quintet. Her puppet opera entitled "Plasticlopus" was premièred at The Hartt School and centers around the inadequately publicized environmental crisis of plastic in the earth's oceans. The vocal setting "Sheva Brachot" was premiered at a private wedding in Vermont and is for voice, clarinet and electronic soundscape. Her string quintet for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello entitled "Three Gestures" was premiered at the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival in Virginia in July, 2010.
Kaeza received her B.A. from Haverford College in Piano Performance and M.M. from The Hartt School in Composition. In addition to happily joining in creating the musical tapestry at First Parish Church in Taunton, Kaeza teaches music, chorus and theater at the Plymouth South Middle School and piano at the Cape Cod Conservatory. She receives commissions commercially and privately for original compositions at weddings, birthdays, concerts and other special occasions. For more about her music, visit www.kaezafearn.com
A native of Taunton, Vicky started singing and studying voice at the age of 7, performing in local variety shows and her home parish. She has been the soprano soloist at First Parish since the mid 1980s and has given several solo recitals at the church. In addition to singing at First Parish, she also does solo and choral work at Holy Family Church. Vicky received a Bachelors degree in Music Education and a Masters in Vocal Performance from the Boston Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Elisabeth Phinney and John Moriarity. Vicky has had the opportunity to perform her two favorite roles, Mrs Ford in the Merry Wives of Windsor and Pamina in the Magic Flute at Harvard University, and performed in the chorus of the Providence Opera for one season. Vicky also holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from American University and an MBA in Organizational Behavior from UMass Dartmouth. She is the Director of Human Resources at the Holiday Inn Taunton and is Co-chair of the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce's HR Committee. As a former Miss Taunton, she is actively involved with the Miss Taunton Scholarship Pageant Committee, and is currently president of the local branch of the American Association of University Women, an organization dedicated to educational equity for women and girls.
Having grown up in a musical family in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Carolyn started singing with three of her sisters in a children's church choir. She later went on to study voice under Margaret Frazier at the University of Rhode Island. Carolyn has sung with the South County Chamber Singers and is currently a member of Providence Singers. She also sings every summer at the Berkshire Choral Festival. Carolyn is the Director of the Women's Center at the University of Rhode Island. She and her partner Christopher live in Rehoboth.
A native of Newton, MA, Wayne started singing at age 9 in his church's children's choir and
has been singing ever since. Currently a member of the Providence Singers of Rhode Island,he has also performed with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston. Wayne enjoys singing as many different types of music as possible. While living in New York City in the 1980s and '90s, he performed with several close-harmony a cappella groups and sang on the soundtracks of a variety of movies and television shows, including Sesame Street and several Nickelodeon and MTV shows. Wayne and his wife Kate now live in Sharon with their dog Oakley and cats Cheeser and Scootie.