When Carl Crosier retired as Cantor from the Lutheran Church of Honolulu after 38 years, he decided that his first Christmas out of church music would be spent with our family on the mainland — which meant that I would need to find a substitute organist for the Christmas services. Thankfully, my former organ student… Read More Zounds! the zimbelstern
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU5CSjXgcWs] This organist is only ten years old and is playing Paul Manz’ “Toccata on Veni, redemptor gentium.” This coming Sunday, I’ll be playing Paul Manz’ “Toccata on Veni, redemptor gentium” (Come now, Savior of the heathen) as the postlude. We were first introduced to the works of Paul Manz by Dale Fisk, an organist… Read More Lutheran composer, Paul Manz
For those of you who are not FaceBook users, I would like to share a couple of pictures taken by Jean Lilley at last night’s Advent Procession. (FaceBook users can view the pictures on LCH’s FaceBook page). When people came up to me after the service and asked me how I felt about it, to tell… Read More Post-Advent Procession
When Miguel Felipe was designing the postcard for tonight’s Advent Procession 2011, he asked me what organ music I was playing. “No prelude, no postlude” I said. “This is a choral service.” And this morning, Advent I, was another of those rare services in which I did not play a organ prelude. That is because… Read More Leighton’s Second Service ‘Magnificat’
Yesterday, the day after Thanksgiving, when lots of people were out shopping, I spent the day at the church, giving organ lessons and practicing. Miguel Felipe was typing the Advent Procession bulletin and asked me about my setting of “Veni Emmanuel,” which will close our Advent Procession service tomorrow night. It begins with a men’s… Read More Veni Emmanuel
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akKIRUIFCQY] Helmut Walcha, blind organist, plays the Prelude in D major by J. S. Bach Some of you may know that I have been experiencing problems with my vision, specifically my right eye. It happened suddenly about three weeks ago when I woke up one morning and perceived everything was at a 45 degree… Read More Blind organists
Today was the last Sunday in the church year, Christ the King Sunday, which means that we will be starting up another church year next Sunday. Today was a truly mixed bag — the organ music I played was by John Stanley (1712-1786) and Thomas Arne (1710-1788). The choir sang spirituals “My Lord what a… Read More Countercultural Advent
Last night at choir rehearsal we began rehearsing Peter Hallock’s processional for Advent, “From lands that see the sun arise,” a piece which the choir will sing to open the 37th Advent Procession on November 27th. Over these many years we have always opened Advent Procession with a piece by Peter Hallock and have alternated… Read More Hallock’s music for Advent
In the month of November, the lectionary focuses on The End of Time. and I couldn’t help but think about the music last season. Just about this time last year, we gave two ground-breaking performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and the very next week, did two performances of Peter Hallock’s “The Last Judgment” at… Read More Music for “The Last Judgment”
For months, Hawaii residents have been advised that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit would have a huge impact, and not only call attention to Hawaii as a gathering place for world leaders, but cause huge traffic jams. During the week November 7-13, 2011 Honolulu played host to President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao,… Read More Get me to the church on time!