This morning I went to the 8:00 am service at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu where two of my young students played the prelude and postlude. It was Faith and Arts Sunday, the day that members of the congregation showcase their writing, art work and musical talents.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear the congregation sing the Alleluia Mass, written by my sister, Doris Au MacDonald and Sharon Dennis aka The Braeded Chord. It was a work that my husband Carl and I commissioned them to write for the 8:00 congregation way back in 2007. Today it was performed only with piano and flute, but they originally also wrote parts for violin and guitar.

9 year old Raphael played “Toccata” by Emma Lou Diemer as the prelude and many people came up to me to say how much progress he has made since last year. He and his sister, Sophia, have only been playing the organ about a year-and-a-half, but as we all know, music is in their DNA!

11 year old Sophia brought the house down with her performance of “Galeries anciens” by Dennis Janzer as the postlude.

Meanwhile, on the other side of America, guess who attended the recital today by my former student, Joey Fala, at Washington National Cathedral? My sister Doris MacDonald and Sharon Dennis! (along with Doris’ husband, Alan, and son, James).

Now is that synchronicity or what?!

I asked Doris whether they got a chance to talk with him after the concert, and she said, “Yes, he told me he had met me before and when I introduced Sharon, he said ‘oh yes, the soccer moms!’  i.e. the text on our website… so he must have read up on us!   I told  him he was your star pupil and you were very proud of him, and he said you were his second mom!”

Sharon called it “incredible music by organist Joey Fala—a student of Doris’ sister, Katherine Crosier—small world!”