Many churches have not been able to hold in-person worship services during the pandemic and have turned to technology to keep us together.

Church musicians have stepped up to the challenge and have become film producers, concerned not only with the music-making, but also video production, creating virtual choir performances, in essence, they have had to become techno-wizards.

Such is the case at Nuuanu Congregational Church where I was introduced as the organist on the first Sunday of August. However, I’ve not been to the church ever since, as in-person services have been suspended until further notice. I pre-record my prelude, meditation and postlude on the Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and send it to Russell Ishida, Nuuanu’s music director.

This week, I recorded Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s “Nun danket all’ Gott” for the postlude, and Russell not only added his trumpet playing, he also inserted us into the sanctuary of Nuuanu Congregational Church. In other words, I was 3.5 miles away from Nuuanu!

You can see what he did here.

To hear us playing, click here: https://vimeo.com/481842049.We play the Karg-Elert at the very end, so you can skip ahead to 40:16 into the video.