I was going through a box of old photos recently, and found these pictures of a performance I did in the year 2000 with Mark Boyle in a piece called, “Rex: The King of Instruments.” Wow, this brings back a bunch of memories! The performance was part of a whole weekend celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, which included a Solemn Vespers, Open House and Family Reunion, a catered German Buffet Dinner, a 100th Anniversary Festival Service, a congregational picnic on Magic Island and Festival Compline.

I played a short organ recital which included Daniel Burton’s “Rex: The King of Instruments,” in which we advertised, “the organ is played with neither hands nor feet!” I needed a “rap narrator” for the piece, and Mark did more than fit the bill. The piece is designed to attract and hold the attention of young people  with its fast-moving dialogue and entertaining music to introduce the pipe organ. Mark and his wife, Jane, were both singers in the LCH choir — he sang tenor and Jane sang alto, and they were tremendous assets in their respective sections.

Since they moved away from Hawaii, they have become parents to Nathan and Patrick, and Mark is Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA.

At the time of Carl Crosier’s last days, Mark wrote this:

At a time in my life when music was not the primary focus, I found Carl and Kathy and LCH. I had run out of money while in college and had entered the Navy to try and rectify that situation. Chance or providence landed us in Hawaii and after a brief search for a church home at which to make music, we were lucky to join the choirs at LCH. It was Carl who lit my passion for 17th century Baroque music and first introduced me to the St. Matthew Passion. It was Carl who asked me to do some harmonizations for the Compline Choir. It was at LCH were I found my voice teacher, Vicki Gorman, who would build my voice back up. There is no way I would be directing choirs at the collegiate level without my experiences at LCH. Carl exposed me to a wealth of quality literature and brought me back to music after being away for a time. I will never be able to repay you, Carl for your contributions to my ethos as a conductor. I am forever in your debt as a musician. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Kathy, and Stephen. Thank you, Carl and Kathy for your friendship and your music. Mark A. Boyle

Well, it happens that Mark and Jane will be celebrating their 20th anniversary in Ireland and tentatively plan to hear one of the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble’s concerts at Christchurch Cathedral in Waterford where I’ll be playing!

And tomorrow is Mark’s birthday — Happy Birthday, Mark! See you in Ireland!