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Dear Fourth Church Family,
Over the course of the summer a committee has been hard at work searching for an Interim Organist and Director of Music for Fourth Church.
Today I am delighted to announce that the committee has concluded their work and Douglas Cleveland will be joining us as Interim Organist and Director of Music this October.
Doug comes to us with a wealth of experience: he has both served as organist and choirmaster at churches across the country and performed as a concert organist around the world. We are delighted to add to our wonderful music team someone with his wide-ranging and internationally recognized skills and expertise. I encourage you to learn more about him (and hear him at the organ) at his website douglascleveland.com.
What you won’t read there is that he also has a special connection to Fourth Church music: during his years serving as Assistant Professor of Organ and Church Music at Northwestern University, Morgan and Mary Simmons — who so faithfully led our music ministry prior to John Sherer — became Doug’s “adopted grandparents.” (He fondly remembers, from his visits with them, Morgan needlepointing the cushions that you now see in the front of the Sanctuary.)
Of course, Doug’s partnering with us in ministry would not be possible without the efforts of the search committee: Robert Sinclair (chair), Laura Perkett, Dala Lucas, Jeanne Griffin, and Clyde Yancy. I am so very grateful for their dedicated work in identifying candidates, interviewing them, and recommending Doug to us.
I am also deeply grateful to Michael Rees, who seamlessly transitioned from the role of Organ Scholar to Acting Director of Music these past three months. He kept our music ministry vibrant and integral to our life as a community without missing a beat. Thank you, Michael!
October 15 will be Doug’s first day on staff, and his first Sunday providing music leadership here at Fourth Church will be October 20. I hope you will be with us that day to join me in extending a warm Fourth Church welcome to him as we look forward to Doug sharing his gifts with us.
Faithfully,
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