While I am home for sixteen days between European trips, I have a long “to do” list besides the obvious—doing laundry and repacking my suitcase!

I did tell you of my desktop computer debacle (“A glutton for punishment”) and at this moment, the restore process has taken four whole days! While the files were being extracted from the online backup, my computer was completely tied up.

That means I couldn’t work on the postcard for Early Music Hawaii, a concert called “Treasures of the French Baroque” on September 15. Scott Fikse will conduct sacred and secular works by Lully, Dumont, Boesset, Le Jeune and a charming chamber opera La Couronne de Fleurs by Charpentier.

Neither could I work on my condo’s monthly newsletter, which should come out sometime after the August board meeting, which I will be attending next week.

In the meantime…

Instead of doing postcard and newsletter layouts, I have found myself in a new role—that of concert agent! You see, my sister Doris Au MacDonald, and her singing partner, Sharon Dennis, will be arriving on September 6 for 13 days. The two of them have been singing and composing acoustic folk music together for 15 years under the name “The Braeded Chord.”

They met when their kids were playing soccer and found that they both liked singing together and playing musical instruments—Sharon plays guitar, and Doris plays keyboard, violin, and percussion instruments. I would I classify their music as “acoustic inspirational folk.” Their motto is “Weaving Life, Faith and Fun into Song.”

Since then they have produced six CDs, and been seven-time WAMMY winners—the Washington DC equivalent of the Grammys or the Hoku awards here in Hawaii. They have won in the categories of Best Religious Group and Best Religious Album.

Ten years ago Carl Crosier commissioned them to write a folk mass for the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, which is still used at the church at their 8:00 am service.

They will be giving a workshop on Intergenerational Worship and Music at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church on September 8 and will lead the worship services on September 9.

Outside of that engagement, it was up to me to find them something else to do. So by means of telephone calls and emails, I have been able to set up the following schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 8, 10:30 am-12:00 pm. Intergenerational Worship and Music workshop at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church. The all-day workshop is sponsored by the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and includes lunch. Other workshops focus on music as healing, caring for the older voice and Hawaiian hymnody. Register here.

Sunday, Sept. 9, 7:00 and 10:00 am, Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church.

Friday, Sept. 14, 11:00 am, Arcadia Retirement Residence

Friday, Sept. 14, 6:00 pm, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church

Sunday, Sept. 16, 8:00 am, Lutheran Church of Honolulu

Sunday, Sept. 16, 10:30 am, United Church of Christ Judd Street.

In addition to leading music at the UCC service, they will give an informal concert in the courtyard afterwards.

Here are some samples of their work.

PS. My computer is back! Hooray! 😃