WESTPORT — A choral concert Saturday will provide a note of celebration as the Rev. Edward Thompson ends his nearly half-century-long music ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

The free concert of works by Thompson, performed by Choral Chameleon choir of New York City, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the congregation, 10 Lyons Plains Road. Tickets are not required; doors open at 7 o’clock. The concert also will be live-streamed.

A reception will follow the concert.

Thompson, who will be retiring as leader of music programs at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation after 46 years, is also a composer, with a master’s from the Juilliard School and a doctorate from the University of Hartford. He joined the congregation in 1978, and was ordained as minister of music in 1997.

He has received commissions for a variety of orchestral, choral, organ and solo works, which have been performed by groups such as the Mendelssohn Choir, Fairfield County Chorale, Music on the Hill Festival Chorus and Choral Chameleon, according to the concert announcement.

Thompson’s most recent major work, “Impetus, a Symphony for Orchestra and Crystal Bowls,” was performed at the Norwalk Concert Hall by the American Chamber Orchestra in October.

“Over 46 years, he has guided hundreds of children and adults through choir, offering not only musical training but also spiritual mentorship,” the UU congregation said in a statement. “Through his teaching, he has shown that music itself can be a form of worship, connecting us to something greater than ourselves,”

For questions, call 203-227-7205, ext. 18.