After more than three decades, Bette Roberts has hung up her choir director's robe at Mattapoisett Congregational Church, but it has nothing to do with her love of music.

“I don’t think either of us could function without music,” said Roberts of she and long-time friend Jo Pannell with whom she shares a home. “I just figured it was time. Time for a change. Thirty-two years is a long time to be a choir director.”

Roberts, a native of Utica, NY, says she grew up with a musical family and went on to major in musical education at Potsdam State Teacher’s College with a focus on the trumpet. Choral music was always a passion, but jobs focused solely on that were hard to find.

Instead, Roberts began working for the Girls Scouts, eventually taking a position in the Mattapoisett area as a district director.

“We decided it was a nice town,” said Roberts.

Roberts said she joined the congregational church soon after moving to Mattapoisett in 1976 and began singing in the choir. When the director left, she asked if she could take over the position.

“I thought, 'Well, maybe I’d like to try this,'” Roberts said. “It tied in with my education as a musical educator. I felt I wanted to contribute something to the community.”

Roberts also took a position as the Mattapoisett Historical Society curator. She retired from that position in 2011.

Over the years, Roberts said her position as choir director didn’t change much. The choir averaged 25 members, and Roberts said one of her goals was always to align the music and the message.

“I always tried to tie in the anthem we were singing with whatever the pastor’s sermon was. Most of the time it worked,” she said.

Roberts, who sites “Amazing Grace” and “The Old Rugged Cross” as two of her favorite hymns said she will miss leading the choir but hopes to join the group as a regular member.

When asked what her favorite part of her time as director has been, Roberts says, “The people. Definitely. It’s a very friendly church.”