I’m soon to get on the plane to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, almost 170 miles away from Honolulu, to perform with the Kona Choral Society on their annual Handel Messiah concert, Sunday, December 4th at the Sheraton Kona Resort. This will be my fourth year performing with this group On the first… Read More Bach in Kona
Flabbergasted! Okay, even though I know what it means, it’s not a word that I use in ordinary conversation. The term originated in 1772, and was mentioned (with bored) in a magazine article as a new vogue word, likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast. Dictionary.com defines the word flabbergasted as an adjective, “to overcome with surprise… Read More Flabbergasted!
Here’s a live Facebook video of Stanford’s Magnificat. I wasn’t even looking over in the direction of the choir, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew that voice. It was Sophia Stark, super-talented daughter of Georgine and Darel Stark, themselves super-talented parents! The piece was Charles Villiers Stanford’s Magnificat, and it was performed at… Read More Already a star!
At last night’s Advent Procession at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, certainly one of the most haunting selections was the anthem “Who is this?” by John Ferguson, which featured the “a cappella” choir with Anna Womack on viola. It begins with the viola playing “O sacred head now wounded.” The piece then alternates between the viola and the… Read More Who is this?
I’ve just returned home from attending the 42nd Annual Advent Procession at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and a number of people came up to me to say that they had remembrances of Carl Crosier tonight. It was not only in the choice of music—I believe there was only one piece which director Scott Fikse… Read More Shades of Carl
It’s only two days before Thanksgiving and I had a busy weekend, attending the chamber music concert with Linda Laderach, Larry Schipull and Grant Moss last Saturday at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu and Sunday’s Hawai’i Symphony Concert with violin soloist Augustin Hadelich and guest conductor Marcelo Lehninger. Both concerts were excellent; the chamber concert… Read More Pre-Thanksgiving madness
A news release from the Lutheran Church of Honolulu reads: Panufnik, Beach, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Barber, and Piazzolla, oh my!! A fabulous trio of musicians comes to Honolulu while on a nation-wide tour. Music Transformed and Transforming is a program of music for piano, organ, and violin in different combinations performed by visiting professors Linda… Read More Music Transformed and Transforming
I had heard people on the mainland talk about it on Facebook, but it was not until today that I received my November issue of The Diapason, (An international monthly magazine devoted to the organ, the harpsichord, carillon and church music), and this month’s issue focused on the Woolsey Hall organ at Yale University. And… Read More Winter clothes at the organ!
Totally at home. That’s how I felt last night sitting at the fabulous Flentrop organ at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley. In fact, I told George Emblom, the church’s music director, that I felt like I had more and better practice than I did at home—no interruptions, not having to stop to give a… Read More Totally at home
What a difference a couple of weeks makes! Two weeks ago I played the large settings of Bach’s Clavierübung as a glorious celebration of Martin Luther, the Lutheran chorale, and the Reformation. Today America has changed, and the mood is somber and angry—our future is uncertain following last week’s election. Yet I will play many… Read More Bach for healing