You may recall that when I was in Bakersfield, I heard an excellent presentation on introducing the organ to children by Robert Ampt and his wife, Amy Johansen, who live in Australia. They also gave an organ duet recital including Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel), Sonata in D minor (Gustav Merkel), Variations on… Read More A visit with the Australians
It’s less than 40 days away to my Bach Great Eighteen concerts on August 18 and 25. I am in “full court press” mode, a term I know from basketball but also an expression meaning “an all-out effort or offensive.” Since returning home from “vacation” I have had three practice sessions, and since I am on… Read More The countdown begins!
Organists don’t retire — they just keep substituting! Even before the tragic event of her husband’s death, Margaret Lloyd had contracted me to play the 7 am service at Central Union Church some time ago since she was still going to be on the mainland. This is the same service that two of my students,… Read More Organists don’t retire . . .
We have been back in Hawaii not quite two days and I have been hitting the ground running in the ramp-up to my Bach concerts on August 18 and 25. I have not yet been able to get to the organ yet since I had my monthly eye injection yesterday. But now the real work… Read More Hitting the ground running
I think that one of the things that sets Association of Lutheran Church Musicians conferences apart from other meetings of professional musicians, like American Guild of Organists conventions, is in its emphasis, number and variety of worship services. I had told you about the opening Morning Prayer, where the assembly mostly sang a capella (without accompaniment), contrasted… Read More Worship at ALCM
This afternoon I attended an organ masterclass with Martin Jean, formerly of Valparaiso University, and now teaching at Yale University. You can read about all his accomplishments by reading the Wikipedia article by clicking here. In case you haven’t been to one, a masterclass has several students who in this case, volunteer to play a… Read More Organ Masterclass
We were at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso today, and started the day with Morning Prayer. An outstanding youth handbell choir from St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Archbold, OH played very complicated and technically difficult music for the prelude and postlude. I was really interested in the large wall hanging behind the altar which was made… Read More The Digital Revolution
Was it a hymn festival? Was it a concert? Last night’s presentation with the National Lutheran Choir and David Cherwien was equally both. If you have gone to a “typical” hymn festival, you know that it is usually an opportunity to hear the organist showcase his or her improvisational skills in creating interesting introductions and accompaniments to… Read More Not an ordinary hymn festival
Today’s plenary session address was given by Elizabeth Drescher, a writer, educator and public speaker who has done an intensive study on people who classify their religious affiliation as “None.” She is the author of Tweet if you (Heart) Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation and Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible. She is currently working on a… Read More The fastest growing religious group: The Nones
Today was our first full day at the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians conference in Valparaiso, IN and it began with a Morning Prayer service in which several of the opening hymns were taught in song leader style, with no sheet music or words to read, just listen and repeat. I found the opening dialog… Read More Worship in a Wireless World