Music/ Choir Calendar
Our Mission Statement
Music has long been recognized as a major source of inspiration and a major motivation for introspection as one confronts one’s religious faith. First Baptist has a long history of strong support for music and an outstanding music program including an excellent Rogers Electronic/Pipe Organ hybrid and one of the areas outstanding choirs. Music has the ability to move our mind and soul beyond its earthly roots, to help us soar in exaltation and praise of our God, and to move us in humility and supplication. Our responses to music are very personal and each of us responds in our own way. To that end music at First Baptist has three primary goals:
1. To enrich and enhance the worship experience through an eclectic but more traditional musical repertoire the meets the aptitudes and tastes of a varied congregation.
2. To provide an opportunity to those for whom musical expression is not only the foundation for their own personal expression of faith but also a valued and treasured gift which they desire to offer both to their God and their church.
3. To provide a musical outreach and mission to the greater Lexington Community through the presentation of special musical programs and participation in community events.
Dr. Robert P. Eaton - Minister of Music
Dr. Robert P. Eaton is founder and director of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, a 70 voice regional chorus, and the eighteen voice Assabet Valley Chambersingers. Dr. Eaton has a long career in church music and is currently Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Lexington, MA. He has served as President for Eastern Division American Choral Directors Association as well as at the State and Division level in many capacities.
Dr. Eaton was Choral Director at Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, MA for many years. Dr. Eaton’s choruses won numerous awards at festivals and competitions, including gold medals for Jazz Choir, Camerata Choir, Chamber Choir, and Concert Choir. Dr. Eaton"s students have been selected for National and Regional Honors Choirs and were always well represented in District and All State Choruses. In 1994 he was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award at Algonquin for his work in developing Humanities courses.
In addition Dr. Eaton has been an organist/choir director for most of his career, active in the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, Music Educators National Conference, and Central District Massachusetts Music Educators Association. He has served as adjudicator and manager of All-State and District choruses and clinician/adjudicator for Festivals of Music. He received a Master of Music Education degree from Hartt School of Music with Dr. Gerald Mack and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with Dr. James Jordan, also from Hartt. His DMA Dissertation was on Duruflé’s Requiem. Dr. Eaton has also studied conducting with Allen Lannom, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Sir David Willcocks.
Dr. Robert P. Eaton is founder and director of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, a 70 voice regional chorus, and the eighteen voice Assabet Valley Chambersingers. Dr. Eaton has a long career in church music and is currently Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Lexington, MA. He has served as President for Eastern Division American Choral Directors Association as well as at the State and Division level in many capacities.
Dr. Eaton was Choral Director at Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, MA for many years. Dr. Eaton’s choruses won numerous awards at festivals and competitions, including gold medals for Jazz Choir, Camerata Choir, Chamber Choir, and Concert Choir. Dr. Eaton"s students have been selected for National and Regional Honors Choirs and were always well represented in District and All State Choruses. In 1994 he was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award at Algonquin for his work in developing Humanities courses.
In addition Dr. Eaton has been an organist/choir director for most of his career, active in the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, Music Educators National Conference, and Central District Massachusetts Music Educators Association. He has served as adjudicator and manager of All-State and District choruses and clinician/adjudicator for Festivals of Music. He received a Master of Music Education degree from Hartt School of Music with Dr. Gerald Mack and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with Dr. James Jordan, also from Hartt. His DMA Dissertation was on Duruflé’s Requiem. Dr. Eaton has also studied conducting with Allen Lannom, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Sir David Willcocks.
Ana Maria Ugarte, Contralto
Ana Maria Ugarte is a true contralto, a rare voice. Her rich, deep tones are brilliantly combined with an innate dramatic ability which mirrors her dramatic voice.
Ana recently was invited by Opera Providence to repeat her “wonderful”, “hilarious”, scene-stealing performance as Ruth in their 2014 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates Of Penzance.
As a soloist she has performed in many of the great oratorio and orchestral works including Vivaldi’s Gloria; Israel in Egypt by G. F. Handel, Duruflé’s Requiem, and El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla. An innovative and energetic concert recitalist, she has appeared in and out of the United States.
In 2002, she made her international debut in La Antigua, Guatemala as guest artist at the Festival Mosaico. In 2003 she was invited by the first lady of El Salvador, Doña Lourdes de Flores to perform at both the Teatro El Presidente and the Teatro Luis Poma.
She lives in Ipswich with her husband and two children.
Ana Maria Ugarte is a true contralto, a rare voice. Her rich, deep tones are brilliantly combined with an innate dramatic ability which mirrors her dramatic voice.
Ana recently was invited by Opera Providence to repeat her “wonderful”, “hilarious”, scene-stealing performance as Ruth in their 2014 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates Of Penzance.
As a soloist she has performed in many of the great oratorio and orchestral works including Vivaldi’s Gloria; Israel in Egypt by G. F. Handel, Duruflé’s Requiem, and El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla. An innovative and energetic concert recitalist, she has appeared in and out of the United States.
In 2002, she made her international debut in La Antigua, Guatemala as guest artist at the Festival Mosaico. In 2003 she was invited by the first lady of El Salvador, Doña Lourdes de Flores to perform at both the Teatro El Presidente and the Teatro Luis Poma.
She lives in Ipswich with her husband and two children.
Brian Landry, Tenor
Brian Landry has a tenor voice that reminds people of the great tenors of yesterday, even as he is poised to become a great tenor of his own generation.
Brian sang his first Radames in Tulsa Opera's 2013 production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. He also made other recent important debuts: Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca with Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, MacDuff in Verdi's MacBeth with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Canio in Providence Opera's Pagliacci, and the tenor soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra.
Brian sang as a Young Artist at the 2010 Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, NY. Under the baton of Will Crutchfield, he performed as Flavio in Bellini’s Norma, and covered the role of Pollione in the same opera. He also sang in several concerts during the festival.
In the 2009- 2010 season, Brian sang as a studio artist for Tulsa Opera, where he sang Normanno in Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, Borsa in Verdi's Rigoletto, And Rodriguez in Massenet's Don Quichotte.
In 2009, Brian sang a second triumphant Otello in Verdi’s Otello with Lowell House Opera in Cambridge, MA. Prior to that were his professional debut in Otello in St. Louis with Union Avenue Opera, and his first Calaf with Lowell House Opera in their 2008 production of Turandot.
In March 2007, Brian returned from the prestigious Accademia Verdiana in Busseto, Italy, where he was coaching with the great Maestro Carlo Bergonzi. Brian made his international debut as a featured performer at a concert in the Teatro Verdi in Busseto, which was televised on Italian National Television on the program Loggione.
Brian Landry has a tenor voice that reminds people of the great tenors of yesterday, even as he is poised to become a great tenor of his own generation.
Brian sang his first Radames in Tulsa Opera's 2013 production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. He also made other recent important debuts: Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca with Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, MacDuff in Verdi's MacBeth with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Canio in Providence Opera's Pagliacci, and the tenor soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra.
Brian sang as a Young Artist at the 2010 Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, NY. Under the baton of Will Crutchfield, he performed as Flavio in Bellini’s Norma, and covered the role of Pollione in the same opera. He also sang in several concerts during the festival.
In the 2009- 2010 season, Brian sang as a studio artist for Tulsa Opera, where he sang Normanno in Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, Borsa in Verdi's Rigoletto, And Rodriguez in Massenet's Don Quichotte.
In 2009, Brian sang a second triumphant Otello in Verdi’s Otello with Lowell House Opera in Cambridge, MA. Prior to that were his professional debut in Otello in St. Louis with Union Avenue Opera, and his first Calaf with Lowell House Opera in their 2008 production of Turandot.
In March 2007, Brian returned from the prestigious Accademia Verdiana in Busseto, Italy, where he was coaching with the great Maestro Carlo Bergonzi. Brian made his international debut as a featured performer at a concert in the Teatro Verdi in Busseto, which was televised on Italian National Television on the program Loggione.
Stefan Sigurjonsson, Baritone
Stefan Sigurjonsson has sung in choirs from childhood. First in his native country of Iceland, where he eventually started taking singing lessons, then in the Netherlands while working on a Bachelor of Music at the Utrecht Conservatory, and finally in the greater Boston area. Along the way he has sung with (among others) The Dutch Radio Choir, Schola Cantorum at Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Cantata Singers of Boston and the Oriana Consort. He has sung solos of various types, too, of sacred and secular music.
Stefan Sigurjonsson has sung in choirs from childhood. First in his native country of Iceland, where he eventually started taking singing lessons, then in the Netherlands while working on a Bachelor of Music at the Utrecht Conservatory, and finally in the greater Boston area. Along the way he has sung with (among others) The Dutch Radio Choir, Schola Cantorum at Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Cantata Singers of Boston and the Oriana Consort. He has sung solos of various types, too, of sacred and secular music.
Melynda Davis, Soprano
Soprano, Melynda Davis, continues to gain attention for her wonderful legato line and beautiful color. Ms. Davis joined Mount Holyoke Symphony in their East Coast Premiere of Dark River. She also made her debut with Gilded Angel Opera as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Davis performed with New York Lyric Opera to sing the title role in Suor Angelica, Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, covered the role of Micaëla in their production of Carmen, and as an Artist in Residence. Ms. Davis also made her debut with Manhattan Opera Studio as Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Davis performed with The Opera Company of Brooklyn as a Resident Artist. She debuted as Mimi in their production of La Bohème and also performed the role of Nedda in their production of Pagliacci. She performed with Empire Opera to premiere scenes from the opera The Mask in the Mirror. Ms. Davis has also performed with Lowell House Opera to sing Desdemona in their production of Otello as the cover for Liu in their production of Turandot. She also joined Boston Lyric Opera in their productions of Rusalka and Don Giovanni. She also made her debut with Empire Opera in The World Premiere of The Great Supper. Ms. Davis has performed with Boston Opera Collaborative to sing the role of First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and the title role in Suor Angelica. She also covered the role of Donna Anna in Boston Opera Collaborative’s production of Don Giovanni. Ms. Davis attended Sherrill Milnes’ V.O.I.C.Experience program, Operafest Boston, and The Lake Placid Institute. She has been a finalist in Connecticut Opera Guild’s Competition, placed First in the Rhode Island NATS Competition and placed Second in Boston's Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition. Ms. Davis has performed with other companies such as Opera Boston, Opera Providence, and the Boston Pops. She has been a soloist with the Providence Singers and the Tiverton Chorus.
Soprano, Melynda Davis, continues to gain attention for her wonderful legato line and beautiful color. Ms. Davis joined Mount Holyoke Symphony in their East Coast Premiere of Dark River. She also made her debut with Gilded Angel Opera as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Davis performed with New York Lyric Opera to sing the title role in Suor Angelica, Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, covered the role of Micaëla in their production of Carmen, and as an Artist in Residence. Ms. Davis also made her debut with Manhattan Opera Studio as Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Davis performed with The Opera Company of Brooklyn as a Resident Artist. She debuted as Mimi in their production of La Bohème and also performed the role of Nedda in their production of Pagliacci. She performed with Empire Opera to premiere scenes from the opera The Mask in the Mirror. Ms. Davis has also performed with Lowell House Opera to sing Desdemona in their production of Otello as the cover for Liu in their production of Turandot. She also joined Boston Lyric Opera in their productions of Rusalka and Don Giovanni. She also made her debut with Empire Opera in The World Premiere of The Great Supper. Ms. Davis has performed with Boston Opera Collaborative to sing the role of First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and the title role in Suor Angelica. She also covered the role of Donna Anna in Boston Opera Collaborative’s production of Don Giovanni. Ms. Davis attended Sherrill Milnes’ V.O.I.C.Experience program, Operafest Boston, and The Lake Placid Institute. She has been a finalist in Connecticut Opera Guild’s Competition, placed First in the Rhode Island NATS Competition and placed Second in Boston's Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition. Ms. Davis has performed with other companies such as Opera Boston, Opera Providence, and the Boston Pops. She has been a soloist with the Providence Singers and the Tiverton Chorus.