Listen to the celebration, Part I. Listen to the celebration, Part II.
Over 2,000 people gathered in elegant Abravanel Hall, next to the Salt Palace, for the GA Closing Ceremony, and the hall rang with song. The GA Choir, conducted by Scott Ward, worked over the course of GA to learn a series of lovely compositions all by UU musicians, including "Immortal Love," the winner of the 1999 UU Musicians Network GA Hymn Contest.
Moderator Denny Davidoff led the congregation in recognizing and thanking the outgoing denominational leaders and welcoming and charging the newly elected UU leaders to "speak the truth, trust us, inform us... Do not lose your soul in this work, but rather, bring your soul to it. ... Revere caring intelligence before mere charm, and always shun panic."
Chris Trace, business manager of the Youth Caucus, asked the the Youth Caucus to mount the stage to the enthusiastic cheers of the celebration participants. Kay Aler-Maida, chair of the Fulfilling the Promise Task Force, asked the thousands of attendees whether they affirmed our convenant with our youth and agreed to respect the young adult generation's culture, and the response was a "Yes!" that shook the walls. When she asked the huge Youth Caucus contingent whether they would respect the culture of the generations that preceed them, they too shouted "Yes!"
Nick Page led the choir and attendees in several wonderful, all-inclusive songs, including his unique "Laughing Buddha Ritual," which ended with all 2,000 attendees repeating "Aum" in unison. When we sang "We Are Free," from the Dundee Voices of Joy, in 2,000-part harmony, the joy and love in the huge hall was palpable. Rev. John Buehrens ended the ceremony with closing words, to shouts of "Preach it, John!" from the crowd.
Click here for the Closing Ceremony program and more pictures
