Ray Cornils will retire as minister of music for First Parish Church (United Church of Christ), Brunswick, Maine, August 31, and as municipal organist for the city of Portland, Maine, on December 31.
During his tenure of more than 30 years at First Church, Cornils built a program of five vocal choirs and two handbell choirs. The vocal choirs accomplished international concert tours.
In his 27-year tenure as the tenth municipal organist of Portland, he worked with the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ for the renovation of the city’s 1912 Austin Organ Company Opus 323, a five-manual, 104-rank instrument. In addition to his concerts at Merrill Auditorium, Cornils developed a comprehensive educational program to promote the organ through in-classroom programs that explore the life and works of composers as well as the science of pipe organ sound production.
