It was over twenty years ago that I drove through a Burger King to pick up a quick sandwich for lunch and when I got the receipt, I was shocked — because I had been given a senior discount, many many years before I was eligible. I guess that to the pimply teenager behind the counter, I must have looked ancient and therefore she applied the discount.

So last weekend, when I walked up to the ticket table for the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble concert, I gave the man $40, expecting to receive $10 back on the general admission price of $30. I was shocked, therefore, when I was given $15 back in return.

“Why did you give me $15 back?”

“You are eligible for the senior discount, arenʻt you?”

“Why, yes, thank you.”

Titled “How Can I Keep From Singing,” the concert was conducted by Associate Conductor, Collin Boothby, whom you may remember, I met in San Francisco at the American Guild of Organists convention. We were actually introduced by my former student, Joey Fala, and the two had actually met at an organ competition.

From the program:
Dr. Collin Boothby is committed to creating meaningful musical experiences with singers while leading choirs in academia, sacred spaces and avocational settings. As the Director of Performing Arts at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, Collin conducts talented singers in the International Vocal Ensemble and Chorale. In addition, he serves as the Music Director at Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu. Since 2018, he has led a professional choir for High Holy Days at Congregational Beth Israel in Houston, TX. It has been a privilege to both sing with and now conduct the Hawaiʻi Vocal Arts Ensemble.

HVAE founder and Artistic Director, Tim Carney, is away in Italy. You may not know that the HVAE was actually co-founded by three people: David Kayner, Carl Crosier and Tim Carney and the group made its debut with a Big Island tour in 1992. I actually sang in that first concert and since then, Iʻve accompanied them many times on the organ and several European choir tours.

It was a fun concert! The program opened with the traditional “How Can I Keep From Singing,” in an arrangement by Gwyneth Walker; “I am the Rose of Sharon” by William Billings; the Randall Thompson “Alleluia” and his “Last Words of David”; and “Two Poems by Robert Frost” composed by James Harold Carr and sung by his wife, Jennifer Lane. We also heard on the first half, a spiritual set by William Dawson, “Every time I feel the spirit”; “American Anthem,” by Gene Sherer and sung by Buz Tennent; and AAaron Coplandʻs “At the river.” The first half ended with an energetic and fun “Cindy,” a traditional tune set by Mack Wilberg. For this piece, Collin joined pianist Eric Schank in a four-hand piano accompaniment plus a little choreography by the choir was delightful.

The second half of the program was light jazz, with close harmonies and syncopated rhythms, including “Fly me to the moon,” by Bart Howard; “In the still of the night” and “Night and Day” by Cole Porter; “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin; “Donʻt Get Around Anymore” by Duke Ellington; “Letʻs call the whole thing off” by George Gershwin; “Route 66” by Bobby Troup; “The Best of all possible worlds” and “Make Our Garden Grow” by Leonard Bernstein.

Everyone went home happy! even me, although I left my umbrella there. I think I left it in the reception room where my attention was drawn to this historic plaque. You can click the photo to read the text — a most interesting event which I did not know about previously.

The story about these missionaries lost at sea may be found here: https://www.sscc-usa.org/ourstory.html