Staff Appreciation – Vickie Hellyer

Thanks and Congratulations to Vickie Hellyer!

The Board of Trustees and Executive Team celebrate UCE Director of Music, Vickie Hellyer. Vickie joined us in 2015, and has led our choir with creativity, patience, love, and generosity of spirit. For 24 years, Vickie has also served the DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church as their Choir Director once a month. This Sunday will be her last Sunday with the DuPage Church and we celebrate her long tenure and service to Unitarian Universalism through worship and song.

In addition to her work with the UCE choir, Vickie coordinates beautiful musical performances for worship services on non-choir Sundays. She is always eager to select challenging pieces that add to the theme and message of the overall worship experience and goes above and beyond to support choristers of all levels to rise to the occasion. She makes recordings for them to practice with and holds extra rehearsals.

During this time when we are not able to be, or sing, together, Vickie has spent countless hours guiding choir members and section leaders to join their voices virtually and create powerful pieces. She coordinates all the section leads and singers of the hymns and arranges instrumentalists. Vickie also meets with singers each Thursday to enable the choir to remain connected, and practice in new ways.

One choir member says of Vickie, “Through her warm heartedness, attention to personal details, and a wonderful sense of humor she has created a community of caring within the choir. We are more than just a group of singers.”

Vickie, you contribute so much to the life of the church – when we meet in person and when we meet on-line. – and we appreciate your many gifts.