Founded in 1994, the Folk Orchestra was originally organized and led by our minister, David Herndon. In spring 2006, leadership of the Folk Orchestra was assumed by Emily Pinkerton. Emily received her undergraduate degree in music, Spanish, and French from Butler University. She recently received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas. She is proficient on piano, fiddle, guitar, and banjo. In 2004, she spent a year in South America on a Fulbright Scholarship studying music of the Andes. Currently she teaches in the Calliope Folk Music School, performs frequently in and around Pittsburgh, and has recently released a solo CD recording.

The goal of the Folk Orchestra is to communicate the message of Unitarian-Universalism—a message of hope, gratitude, community, justice, compassion and service—through the vehicle of traditional and contemporary folk music, vocal and instrumental, drawn primarily from North American, British, Celtic and Latin American sources. We seek to make good music and build fellowship together. The Folk Orchestra performs at Sunday Services, generally once a month, as well as at other UU churches and other venues. In addition to Sunday services, the Folk Orchestra has played at the annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly, at Pittsburgh’s Fair in the Park, at the Allegheny and Erie Unitarian Universalist Churches, and, in the past year, at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative service of the East End Cooperative Ministry, the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, and at the Sherwood Oaks assisted living facility in the North Hills.

The Folk Orchestra is open to any member of First Unitarian Church—and others, with the conductor’s permission—who plays a suitable instrument (such as concertina, fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, bass, cello, ukulele, piano, harp, pennywhistle, flute, percussion or voice). There is no minimum required ability level, but all Folk Orchestra members are expected to work toward improving their musical skills. Rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings at 7:30. Members need to attend rehearsals consistently and to be ready to start rehearsing (instruments tuned, and any other needed equipment set up) on time. The Folk Orchestra is a community which strives to support and welcome all levels of musicians and to inspire musical growth in all our members. Our rehearsals are relaxed, but focused on the pieces we are learning for our next performance. Our musical selection and arrangement process is a group effort—collegial, friendly and often playful—but ultimately subject to the final approval of the Folk Orchestra conductor.