As some of you know, I write two blogs: one about the goings-on from the Music Department of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu (Another Year of Insanity) and the other, about Burbank High School Class of 1968. This will be the first (and maybe the one and only!) time that I will post the very… Read More A funeral, then a wedding
The Easter music has hardly been put away and it’s already time for our next “biggie,” the Bach Pilgrimage VIII concert on Saturday, April 21st, as part of the Abendmusiken series. The concert will focus on music from Leipzig, in the year 1726. This upcoming concert will herald the return of retired cantor, Carl Crosier,… Read More No rest for the weary
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTpNV5_N4w8&w=480&h=360] Here’s a YouTube version of the Sinfonia I played for the prelude at the 10:30 service — this performance is by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. I think we played it faster! Well, another Holy Week and Easter are in the books, and I can’t believe how many notes I played over the last few days!… Read More Soooo many notes!
The latest issue of Divinity magazine has a fascinating article called “The Church Musician as (Overlooked) Theologian,” published by Duke Divinity School. The opening paragraph starts with a challenge: “No one goes to church and thinks, ‘I sure hope the worship will be dull and uninspiring.’ People desire vibrant worship. Whether it’s the communal practices… Read More The Church Musician as Theologian
There were twenty-two (count ’em!) pieces of music in tonight’s Maundy Thursday service, and there would have been twenty-three had the footwashing not been so efficient. We unfortunately had to cut “Ubi caritas” by Maurice Duruflé because no more music was needed during the footwashing rite. Here is the repertoire: Organ Prelude: O Lamm Gottes… Read More Maundy Thursday marathon
A couple of posts ago, when I said that it had never rained on our Palm Sunday parade, I was corrected by my dear husband, Carl. He wrote me, “You are wrong about not being rained out. It has happened twice during my 36 Palm Sundays at LCH (2 others were spent in Boston). One… Read More Apologies! a Palm Sunday correction
In Pastor Jeff’s message in the April issue of The Heart Beat, LCH’s monthly parish newsletter, he described the services of the Triduum, the “Three Days” celebrated by Christians all over the world in anticipation of Easter. That means we’ll be singing services on Maundy Thursday (April 5th), Good Friday (April 6th) and Easter Vigil… Read More Holy Week Math: 3+1 = 5
Over the past few days I’ve been extensively interviewed by the local Star-Advertiser on how Lutherans celebrate Holy Week. (Look for the article in this Saturday’s paper.) I guess last year they interviewed the Catholics and this year they decided to do Lutherans. Even though I am merely the organist (and do a few other things… Read More Palm Sunday 2012, old and new
I just read a fascinating article called “Bach’s Incredible Feet,” which was published on Bach’s birthday, a few days ago. Non-organists find it amazing that we play with both feet, and compared to playing the harp, timpani and piano, which use the feet in a secondary role, our feet become extensions of our hands. Organists… Read More Organists’ feet and shoes
After playing the works of Bach the last few weeks, this week it will be romantic music. On Sunday I’ll be playing two chorale preludes from Johannes Brahms’ op. 122, “O wie selig Seid ihr Doch, ihr Frommen” for the prelude and “Herzlich tut verlangen” during communion. The choir will sing Brahms, too, for communion,… Read More Brahms and Bruckner