Priscilla Adams Rigg

1929 – 2019

Falmouth, Maine

Priscilla Adams Rigg passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Born in Tunbridge, Vermont she was the daughter of Emma and Russell E. Adams and granddaughter of Nina and John Q. Adams. The family lived briefly in Ascutney, Vt. before settling in East Greenwich, Rhode Island where Priscilla continued to live, study and work for 80 years.

She earned her music skills at the Rhode Island Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory of Music with Yuko Hayashi, International Organ Institute in Haarlem, Holland with Anton Heiller and through a great variety of Special workshops and courses. Her first professional church organist position began at age 12 at the Quidnessett Baptist Church in North Kingstown, RI. Next it was Music Director at the Navy Chapel at Quonset Naval Air Station where she played for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish services and directed their choirs of children and adults. Finally in 1964 she became Director of Music for the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich where she remained for 50 years and retired from in 2015.

In her professional career she served on several boards, the Association of Anglican Musicians,(AAM) Anglican Musicians’ Foundation, Anglican Musicians Finance Committee, Music Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of RI (Chairperson), American Guild of Organists, Dean, Music-on-the-Hill, Founder and Director of the community concert series, Priscilla Adams Community Music School, Director.

In 2011 she was awarded a Doctor of Music Degree honoris causa by the St.Dunstan’s

School of Sacred Music, for her work in the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island, Music Ministry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and her international involvement in many aspects of her professional career.

Long an advocate for youth choirs she directed programs for inner city children and made several music mission trips to work with children in St. Vincent, St. Croix and Grenada in the Caribbean. She was a member of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), which is a music achievement program for choristers founded in England and brought to the US over 100 years ago. In 2010 she established the first RSCM Summer Training Course for children and adults at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. In five years the Course tripled in the number of choristers attending from all over the US.

She was responsible for the publication of a new curriculum Christian Education Linking

Music and Liturgy that was intended to be used as a companion to the RSCM Voice for Life program with youth choirs. The focus for her entire career was working with children from ages 4 – 18 and incorporating them fully into the musical life of a church.

In 2015 she moved to OceanView in Falmouth, Me, where she helped to establish and direct a new chorus for residents. She helped to inaugurate a new RSCM Choir Program

for children at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Falmouth.

She leaves a niece, nephew and goddaughter with extended families in Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia. Her niece Rebecca Adams Andreozzi and nephew Nicholas Adams Sampson & wife Gay, goddaughter Pricilla Williams & husband Tom and their families.

An evening prayer and vigil will be held at The Episcopal Church of St. Mary Church in Falmouth Maine on Friday, May 3, from 6-8 PM. A burial mass with reception to follow will be held on Saturday, May 4 at The Episcopal Church of St. Mary Church at 4 PM.

You may offer your condolences or share your memories at www.jonesrichandbarnes.com

Interment will be private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Hospice of Southern Maine

180 US Route 1

Scarborough Maine 04074

St Mary’s Church RSCM program

48 Foreside Rd

Falmouth Maine 04105

OceanView at Falmouth Chorus

20 Blueberry Lane

Falmouth Maine 04105