For years, the music library at First Church Congregational has had a substantial music collection kept in alphabetical order and stored in boxes, making it difficult to find music for liturgical services.

But not anymore.

Church members volunteered more than 18 hours over three weekends in January to sort, categorize and digitize all 650 sheets of music in the library.

“We have a library with music we could use, but didn’t know it was there,” said Mike Boutin, music minister for the past three years at the historic church at 26 Pleasant St., organized in 1729. “It was like walking into a library looking for a book without the Dewey (Decimal) System.”

Boutin created a spreadsheet with categories for each hymn such as title, publishing company or voice arrangements; whether the song was written to be sung by soprano, alto, tenor or bass baritone; if it uses instruments other than the piano or organ; appropriateness for the season of the liturgical year – Palm Sunday, Easter, Advent or Christmas; and scripture reference.

For example, the hymn “Go Tell It on the Mountain” would be categorized as a traditional African-American spiritual song, sung at Christmas by soprano, alto and baritone voices.

In addition to the individual hymns, First Church has a contemporary choral collection which Boutin uses during worship on Sundays.
Volunteers assigned a number to each box of music, then input the data onto the computer. Among those volunteering the first Saturday were Susan Riedel, Jo Crosby, Kathy Romano, Robyn Sliney and Dave Monson.

“What we ended up with was a searchable Google spreadsheet that anyone can have access to,” Boutin said.
Monson volunteered for two reasons: his love of church music and he knows how frustrating it is to look for something and not find it.

“It’s grunt work, but somebody has to do it. I love church music because it’s Scripture brought to music and, if you don’t put an effort in preserving it, it’ll vanish and disappear,” Monson said.

It’s also a money-saver, Boutin said.

“Knowing what we have in the library, instead of buying music we can use the money to hire a musician or have a guest singer,” Boutin said.

The project was not difficult.

“It’s time-consuming, it’s a little tedious and monotonous, but it’s also interesting,” Boutin said, noting choir members who volunteered discovered pieces they had not seen in years and would love to sing again.

Digitizing the music library was also a way to build community.

“When people work on a shared effort, it makes them feel they’re accomplishing something and that’s a good thing,” said Boutin, who started studying piano as a child with Catholic nuns. In addition to being a pianist and organist, he is a singer and conductor.

He comes from a musical family as his mother was a pianist, his grandmother played the piano from ear and his maternal grand-uncles played in a band in the 1920s and 1930s.

“Music has always been a healing and spiritual piece in my life. I’m most myself when I’m at the piano singing and helping other people sing,” he said.

Boutin has a bachelor’s degree in French and music from Tufts University, a master’s degree in ritual studies from Notre Dame University, a master’s degree in divinity from St. John’s Seminary, a doctor of ministry from Catholic University and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University.