This morning I was at my old stomping grounds, Iolani School, where I was the Chapel Organist for 20 years, and played for daily chapel services. Since I retired in 2015, the school has gotten so big (in enrollment as well as in number of buildings on campus), that it’s no longer possible to have one All School Chapel, as they did in my time about five times a year. Back then, All School Chapel was held in the Lower Gym, with about 2000 bodies in there. I always thought that if a bomb struck the Gym at that time, they’d wipe out the brightest and best minds on the planet! Thankfully, there have been no disasters during All School Chapel that I know of!

Now the school has gotten so big that they need to split the Upper and Lower School into two major assemblies, meeting simultaneously. The Upper School met in the Lower Gym and I played for the Lower School in St. Alban’s Chapel.

I met Chaplain Andrew Arakawa at 7 am this morning and was asked if I could play a prelude at 7:45, ending at 7:50. Easy peasy — I actually played two pieces, one after another, and ended precisely at 7:50 and about 20 seconds.

To my surprise, the children all clapped!

I think this is the first time in my life that people have ever clapped after my prelude! Usually for the organist it’s a battle for the prelude to be heard over the talking of the congregation. I think that this cartoon perfectly captures the organist’s frustration over trying to play music over all the talking and chatting!

To be honest, in today’s chapel the children were really well-behaved and didn’t talk much at all. I was so surprised, though, when as I ended my final chord (which granted, was on full organ), they all clapped!

Today was Founders Day, a day to celebrate the history and the many contributors who have shaped the school. February 9 is the birthday of Kamehameha IV, the royal patron of the school and it was he who brought to the islands the Church of England. With his wife, Queen Emma, they established St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Queen’s Hospital, St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls and Iolani School.

You can view the program here. Wow, it’s a far cry from the simple black and white programs that were done in the past, now they’re in full color!

It felt good to play the Alma Mater again (sung to FINLANDIA, by Jean Sibelius).