Our staff works alongside our congregation to foster a welcoming, compassionate, and engaged community. Learn more about the people who support our worship, programs, and shared commitment to justice, connection, and lifelong learning.
James Chubet has performed extensively as a piano soloist and as a chamber and orchestral musician and accompanist throughout the U.S. and Italy, Spain and Iceland. Since 2024, he has been the Music Director at First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Canton where he leads the choir and plays piano and organ. James is also a member of the piano faculty at All-Newton (MA) Music School and a former member (1988-2023) of the Performance Faculty at Boston College. He also performs regularly with the Springfield Symphony and with professional musician members of his family as the Cottage Quartet.
James served as Principal Keyboard and Chamber Music Coordinator with the Britt Festival Orchestra in Oregon every summer from 1985-2019 and during those years was featured as a piano soloist with the orchestra in performances of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the late maestro James DePreist and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Second Rhapsody with Peter Bay (Music Director of the Austin Texas Symphony.)
James holds two Bachelor’s Degrees in Piano Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he studied with Alfred Lee and two Master’s Degrees in Piano Performance and Musicology from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with Gabriel Chodos.
Carol Smith is the First Parish Office Administrator and has been with us since June 2023. She has a diverse background as an executive assistant, office manager, and accounts payable manager – having worked for various companies in Massachusetts.
Carol also is a 24-year Canton resident. She volunteers her time through elderly friendship programs, most recently with MABVI (Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually impaired). She also is a former volunteer with the Big Sister Program.
