Last Sunday about 4:00 pm after I had just settled into my seat at the Symphony concert and before the music began, my phone vibrated, indicating that I had a new email message. It was from Chandra Peters, the chapel coordinator of Punahou School, who coincidentally sang with the Lutheran Church of Honolulu choir for… Read More A life of leisure … NOT!
How sweet the sound . . . Of course, you know that phrase as a quote from the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” written by the Anglican priest, John Newton (1725-1807). But it is also the title of an upcoming concert featuring soprano Georgine Stark, with her husband, violinist Darel Stark, pianist Sachi Hirakouji and the Lutheran Church… Read More How sweet the sound
Before going to last night’s concert by the Nā Wai Chamber Choir, I checked out their Facebook Event page and noticed this information about the price of admission: Tickets are $7.00 for Adults, $5.00 for kūpuna and keiki Now for those of you who don’t live in Hawaii, or know the Hawaiian language, keiki are… Read More Kūpuna rate!
How many organists does it take to change a lightbulb? This was no joke, but an actual quip when I hosted the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists at my condo last night and we decided to take a group picture. I suggested that we turn up the lights, and told the group the switch… Read More How many organists…?
You probably remember that phrase from your childhood days, likely from your mother who didn’t want you going out on either Sunday through Thursday nights, because there was school the next day. Perhaps you also said it yourself to your children. Here’s how the Cambridge dictionary defines it. In this case, though, my friend John Renke… Read More It’s a school night!
Today marked the third year I have hosted a lunch for my former organ students who are away at college on the mainland but home for Christmas in Hawaii. We could have had as many as six (or seven!) students there, but several have already returned to school. I invited Naomi Yuen-Schat and her mom to… Read More Welcome, home!
“You love life in the fast lane, don’t you” was a text message I received from my sister last night as I was sitting in Neal Blaisdell Center Concert Hall, waiting for the Beethoven Ninth concert to begin. I had just gotten off the plane from 9 days on the mainland with my family in… Read More Life in the fast lane
If you’re guessing that I spent yesterday morning playing the organ at Kawaiaha’o Church, you guessed right! On Friday, I got a call from Nola Nahulu, the director, saying that the organist, Buddy, had pneumonia and wouldn’t be able to make it on Sunday. Oh, and by the way, she was going to send me… Read More Quick study
Tonight was the Iolani School’s Winter Concert for the Hokuloa Singers and Chorus, and we had a closed circuit television set up on the organ console so I could see the conductor, John Alexander. It consists of a video camera connected to a television monitor and it has worked extremely well in the past—there is no delay in… Read More Technology – BAH, HUMBUG!
As you may remember from my recent post, “An early Christmas miracle,” I served as the co-chair for my building’s holiday party which happened on Monday. In the morning, in spite of getting lost and spending a half hour needlessly driving in circles, I picked up 28 tablecloths from a party rental business. I had the… Read More Loaves and fishes