Saturday’s concert by organ students has come and gone and it was a learning experience for both students and teacher alike! What I mean is that there were unexpected bumps in the road, and at other times, some exquisite moments. What was so great was hearing the wide range of experience in organ playing, from beginning to advanced. We are all learning!
We had a church full of loyal family members and friends and I dare say that for many people, it was their first visit to the Lutheran Church of Honolulu and maybe the first time they’ve seen or heard a pipe organ. I’m hopeful that they were suitably impressed!
Here was the program:
Jennifer Fabian
Alas, and did my Savior bleed (Michael Burkhardt)
Christ, the Life of All the Living (Burkhardt)
Go to Dark Gethsemane (Burkhardt)
Jennifer is a Nurse Professional Development Practitioner at Shriners Hospital and the Contract Musician at Marine Corps Base Hawaii Chapel. She began organ lessons in October.
Eugene Madarang
Climbing (Janet Correll)
Jacob’s Ladder (African-American Spiritual)
Arroz con leche (Hispanic Folk Song)
Eugene is a freshman at the University of Hawaii and plans to study Civil Engineering. He started organ lessons in September
Jennifer Gallardo
Lord have mercy (George Lachenauer)
Fanfare (Janet Correll)
Jennifer is a senior at the University of Hawaii as a pre-law student. She began organ lessons last January and has spent the last six months preparing to take the LSATs.
Tiana Gilo
Quiet Prelude (Larry Visser)
Processional Trumpets (Janet Correll)
Tiana started organ lessons two years ago and is now an 8th grader at Kapolei Middle School. She has sung in her church choir since age 7. The second of four children, she enjoys creative writing.
Nanami Mata
Prelude and Fugue in E minor (“Cathedral”) J. S. Bach
Nanami is a junior at Kaiser High School and has been playing the organ since she asked for organ lessons for her 14th birthday. Nanami plays percussion in the band and violin in the school orchestra.
James Myers
Mendelssohn (James Biery)
Vom Himmel hoch (Johann Pachelbel)
James is a longtime singer at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and a recent convert to the organ, beginning organ lessons one year ago. He has played music his whole life and is excited to embark on this new path. James is a teacher at SEEQS Public Charter Middle School.
Irwin Jiang
Fugue in C Major (“Fanfare”) J. S. Bach
Irwin is the Organist of St. Clement’s Episcopal Church and has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance. He is preparing to enter the International Chopin Competition in Hartford, Connecticut in March. Irwin began organ study in May 2024.
Janet Sharp
Sonata No. 4, Andante Religioso (Felix Mendelssohn)
Janet started piano lessons at age six. She has been blessed her whole life with beautiful music: piano lessons, flute playing, choir singing and directing, ukulele playing and organ lessons. She is the organist at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mililani.
Daniel Welch
O Mensch bewein’ dein Sünde Gross (J. S. Bach)
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (J. S. Bach)
Kaua‘i native, Daniel Welch began study of violin and piano at age 4, viola for the last nine years, and organ since 2021. From an early age, he developed a keen interest in historically-informed performances and musicology. Daniel is a Member-at-Large for the Hawai‘i Chapter American Guild of Organists Executive Board.
Zachary Hamada
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (J. S. Bach)
Galeries Anciens (Dennis Janzer)
Zachary is the Musician for St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. He is a senior at the University of Hawaii with a focus on piano. He began organ lessons in February of 2024.
As you can see above, several of the students had the COURAGE to get up in front of their family and friends and play the organ for the first time after less than a year of lessons!
I had a chance to play the organ too — in several duets.
One of the great moments I cherished was when Daniel Welch engaged the zimbelstern exactly right on the money on the repeat of the opening phrase, and was able to turn it off at just the right time! You must know this zimbelstern is finicky, and takes a moment to engage, necesitating that you push it an eighth note ahead of when you want it to come on or off.
Another great moment was when Zachary Hamada finished playing “Jesu, joy of man’s desiring,” and mimed a sigh of relief when it was over, wiping his brow with a huge gesture! Everyone laughed!
Thank you to host organist, Barry Wenger, the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and for the show of support by so many family members and friends. The concert was a benefit for the Scholarship Fund of the Hawaii Chapter, American Guild of Organists, and we raised well over a thousand dollars for the cause.
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It’s been a busy week, not only giving extra organ lessons to several students because of the concert, but I just finished washing the sheets and towels for my next houseguest. If you can imagine, I will have had THREE separate houseguests in the space of about ten days. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I hosted David Lawrence from Cleveland, Ohio — we met in Greece on a GoAhead tour in 2019 and he came to Hawaii to escape the cold and snow. Then on Friday and Saturday I hosted my Kauai student, Daniel Welch, when he came over to have a lesson and play in the concert. This week I’ll be hosting Mindy Rosenfeld from the Renaissance trio, “Gut, Wind & Wire” for the Early Music Hawaii concert on Friday. My condo, affectionately known as “The Marble Palace,” is a regular Bed and Breakfast!
