This is my last week in Honolulu before embarking on my summer travel. I had one last gig this morning—substituting for Gloria Faltstrom, organist at Waiokeola Congregational Church, and home to the Heissler tracker organ.

Waiokeola is also the parish church of a former student of mine, Andrew Moore, the grandson of Bud Klein, the music director emeritus. I was happy to greet Bud, his daughter, Kathy, and her husband, David, after the service, who reminded me that Andrew is attending college in Worcester, MA and has a summer internship in the greater Boston area. I eagerly got Andrew’s contact information with the possibility of giving him a call during my visit.

I am beginning my travels with a visit to Boston—to attend the Boston Early Music Festival, June 9-16, 2019, billed as “North America’s premier celebration of Early Music, with eight days of GRAMMY-winning opera, thrilling concerts, the world-famous Exhibition, and more!”

In addition to the 19 concerts of the Festival, there is a full-scale baroque opera, two chamber operas, an Organ Festival, a Keyboard Festival, an exhibition of early instruments, CDs, sheet music and a whole slew of “Fringe” concerts: check out the description of all the 53 fringe concerts here. It’s early music hog heaven!

I’m especially looking forward to hearing the opening concert by the Dunedin Consort, who will be performing the St. Matthew Passion by Bach. The Dunedin Consort, Scotland’s leading baroque ensemble, will be joined by Kristian Bezuidenhout, a fantastic harpsichordist whom my husband Carl and I met many years ago in Saintes, France. The group will be performing the Matthew Passion with just “one on a part,” — hugely challenging!

As if the prospect of attending all those world-class concerts were not enough, I’m hoping to visit several museums: the Museum of Fine Arts, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

I’m also looking forward to seeing long-time friend Edith Ho, former director of music at the Church of the Advent, as well as Brian Liu, a cousin who lives in the Boston area. On this trip, another cousin, Philip Au, will also be joining us.

I’ll be staying in an apartment (which was a lot cheaper than staying in a hotel!), and using public transportation to get around. I’m already scouting out the bus and subway routes to Jordan Hall, and to the many churches where the concerts will be held.

So I was happily engrossed in researching all things Boston when I got an email message from Sam Lam, a local organist and my Symphony buddy:

Missed seeing you at symphony. You must be traveling. Excellent concert!

YIKES! I had forgotten all about attending the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra concert this afternoon, for which I have season tickets! Today was the last concert of the season, and featured Augustin Hadelich, violinist, and Naoto Otomo, conductor. Aw shucks, I’m soooo sorry to have missed it!

Guess I have Boston on the brain!