Rebecca Dolder grew up in a musical family. Her mother was an accomplished keyboard and vocal artist. Her father, a pharmacist, played the violin and sang tenor quite well. Music was an integral part of their lives. Her sister played the French horn and still sings for pleasure.

 

During the high school years Rebecca played trombone and sang in the choirs at school and at church. In college she studied voice and sang in the Muskingum A Cappella Choir. Since then she has sung in civic and church choirs and she dusted off her trombone and joined the Pilgrim Voluntary Brass.

 

Rebecca began hand bell ringing in the 1980's at Old South UCC in Kirtland. Director Kerry Remp taught her and others the art of ringing and he also founded and directed Pilgrim's hand bell choir in 1992. She finds hand bell ringing a stress reliever and fulfilling at the same time.

 

Rebecca shares a home with Nanci Adams and Maddie, their young springer spaniel. Her leisure time activities include motor home travel, photography, cooking and playing cards! Of course music in some form is always near and dear. She is excited about the opportunity to continue the hand bell ministry at Pilgrim.
 

Ron Buford, Pilgrim Jazz Ensemble DirectorClick on any picture on this site to enlarge to full size
Ron came to Pilgrim in 1994 after not playing any instrument for nearly 10 years. “Ron Morgan, Director of Music Ministry at Pilgrim inspired me to return to my music. It has been a real blast!” says Buford.

Buford offers music in the gospel/jazz idiom along with the fabulous singer Angela Lynard. Buford and Lynard have done music together since they were both about 12 years old. “I hope that despite my limited musical ability, these gifts will be enough to inspire others to come and join in singing, playing, and praising God,” says Buford. “Firmly rooted in the African-American tradition, this music experience is best when shared by, with, and for people of diverse expression, no matter who they are or where they are on life’s journey.”

Out Magazine named Buford, one of the 100 most influential LGBT persons in America (2005). Buford launched and led the United Church of Christ’s new God Is Still Speaking marketing and branding strategy. That strategy included the controversial TV ads rejected by NBC and CBS because they proclaim a message of God’s radical inclusion of all people. UCC web visits increased from 950,000 a year to more than 7.1 million during a target 18-month period.

Buford now consults with the Untied Church of Christ and other progressive non-profit organizations. He lives in Tremont but travels 60-70 percent of the time. When he is not on the road, he is at Pilgrim, the church of his heart.

Carol Zika Lange, Director Emeritus of Music Ministries
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Pilgrim Church is unusually blessed to celebrate the giving spirit, the tireless vitality, and the rich history of Carol Lange’s contributions to music ministry. As a 50+-year member of Pilgrim Church, Carol has painted, scrubbed, laughed, sung, taught Sunday school, prayed, and worshipped throughout change and growth in our congregation. Carol’s parents were married at Pilgrim in 1926, and she and her husband George were married in our sanctuary in 1950.Carol has fond memories of the many duets she and her mother Rose Zika sang not only at Pilgrim, but also on radio and television. Carol has sung solos in French, German, Czech and Italian. At Cleveland’s Severance Hall, she has performed excerpts from La Traviata, La Boheme, and has performed many arias from oratorios. Carol attended Baldwin-Wallace College and studied voice and piano at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.

As one of Pilgrim’s honorary deaconesses, Carol has served on every governing board of the church, and served two terms as our church moderator. During what she describes as “the lean years of Pilgrim Church,” Carol served for 15 years as choir director, pianist, soprano soloist, and played the small electronic organ that predated the renovation of our pipe organ. For 12 years, she brought joy and enthusiasm to her role as director of the children’s choir. Working in partnership with Ron Morgan, she says, “I’m so glad we have Ron Morgan as Minister of Music. He is a wonderful, understanding, happy, funny, very talented musician.” Ron, in turn, looks forward to accompanying Carol’s beautifully-rendered, heart-felt soprano solos. He loves Carol’s contagious passion for life and music, marvels at her willing, optimistic spirit, and appreciates the many ways she has been the rock and anchor of the music program.

Carol served as the director of The Parma Entertainers for over 25 years. Any of us who saw these enthusiastic, fun-loving souls sing, dance, and perform comedy and magic acts understand what Carol meant when she described this job as “hard work, but fun, fun, fun!” At church talent shows, we have swooned to the torch songs of the chanteuse Fifi de la Plume, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Carol Lange! Not only sharing her gifts of music, Carol’s love of life is reflected in roses from her garden, and in the delicious European pastries that keep Pilgrim members successfully off their diets. As an example of her willingness to share her passions and gifts, Carol has taught bread baking classes to Pilgrim members during the Lenten seasons.

Speaking to the rebirth of Pilgrim Church, Carol says, “It makes my heart glad to see Pilgrim Church so vital and alive again.” For the many Pilgrim people who love her, and who are continually touched by her musical gifts, it is Carol Lange who embodies and radiates that spirit of life and vitality. Celebrating her generous heart, her willing spirit, and her passion for life, people, and song, we thank God for Carol’s ongoing devotion and musical witness to the church she has loved, supported and cherished with overflowing joy and faith. Thank you, Carol, for the songs that live in your heart—songs that touch all of us with their sincerity, love, passion, and joy!