Plymouth Magazine-Fall26-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 34
Matins choir in the 1950s.
Students performing “Noye’s Fludde” in Plymouth's Sanctuary.
This show was first performed in 1959 and twice more in the early 60’s.
Faith and Matins
Matins always played a role through the
years in ministering to the Plymouth
worshippers through music, though
alumni and current members say the
Matins approach to faith and religious
teachings has been more like an
invitation, not insistence.
“It was spiritual in kind of the community
sense as opposed to scriptural or preachy.
There was no sort of litmus test that you’d
be a believer,” said Pete Vorbrich, who
sang from 1980–1984. “I kind of like that
soft entrée to a church community.”
“That was the beauty of it,” said Elizabeth
Osborn Beshires, who was in Matins from
2013–2017 when Susan “Sooz” Waller
led the choir. “The religious aspect kind
of came naturally in the way of ‘love
thy neighbor’. Well, we’re doing that by
loving all the parts of our youth group.
“And because we welcomed other people
with such grace…I think we also got a lot
of those core religious beliefs.”
The choir’s “pillars of tradition” do talk
of being rooted in the religious values
of understanding, acceptance, love,
peace and justice for all. In the 1980s,
Plymouth member and
jewelry artist Sheena
Thomas even designed
coveted sterling silver
crosses, incorporating a
circle representing the
“never-ending circle of
Matins.” In Dexter’s era, youth also
attended a class to dig more deeply into
the roots of hymns and messages of faith
and God’s teachings are woven into most
Matins’ anthems.
Matins also has offered a big tent for
those of all faith communities or even
no professed faith. Micich remembered
some of her choir kids would even
attend Catholic mass before singing the
morning Plymouth service.
Howard Tempero, who was raised
Catholic and joined Plymouth later as
an adult, recalled how the sermons of
the Rev. James Gilliom had an impact on
him, distinct from his experiences at mass.
“Every Sunday we would sit and sing, but
then we’d have to listen through a sermon.
Some stuff had to sink in, right?” he said.
Susan Waller, former director
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Dexter brought to Plymouth an
expansive philosophy about the role of
music in ministry. He also instituted
several new choirs both for children and
adults and even added a rhythmic choir
with dancers. He launched Matins just
three years after he moved from Grand
Rapids, MI, with wife Marilyn and their
children to rejoin minister and friend
Charles Houser.
Named for the traditional early morning
prayers called “matins,” the original choir
looked much different from today’s. At
first, about 40 or so children from grades
5 through high school practiced on the
Plymouth gym’s stage for two hours
every Saturday afternoon and then sang
for a 9:30 a.m. Sunday service, though
as he added children’s choirs, the Matins
focused on grade 7 and up.
The choir routinely tackled challenging
works, sometimes singing in foreign
languages. Members also learned to play
some old Baroque-era instruments like
the sackbut, a precursor to the trombone,
and even staged a major children’s
opera “Noye’s Fludde” or Noah’s Flood,
complete with costumes and a 30-piece
student orchestra. Beginning in 1959,
they staged it not once but three times
within a decade.
“The level of excellence I learned in
Matins, which was the standard Dad had
for everyone, is how I still do everything
in life,” said John’s son Paul, who now
lives in Massachusetts where he still sings
with the historic Worcester Chorus.
Paul and his four siblings all remained
involved with music to varying degrees
throughout their adult lives.
