There will be one moment in tomorrow’s Thirteenth Annual Hawaii Vocal Masterworks Festival concert where I’ll get a chance to “shine” (either that, or be a flop!), and that is in the Benedictus movement of Haydn’s Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, nicknamed “The Little Organ Mass.” The work was written about 1775 for the Convent Church… Read More The Haydn little organ
Hey! Don’t read this post if you are going to Sunday’s Hawaii Vocal Masterworks Festival performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you! In case you want to know what I’m talking about, you need to first know something of the story. Here’s a quick synopsis from Naxos Records: Dido,… Read More Spoiler alert!
Yesterday I thought I was drowning in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas—I was completely overwhelmed! You see, after flying home on Saturday night after 12 days in California to meet my first grandchild, I went to a choral rehearsal the very next day, where I picked up the music for next Sunday’s Hawaii Vocal Masterworks Festival… Read More Drowning in Purcell
I make no bones about it—I am not a pianist by any stretch of the imagination. You may remember that I quit taking piano lessons in eighth grade to take up the organ and I’ve never looked back. I know I’m in good company when I call myself a “washed up pianist” as I know… Read More Washed up pianist
If you happen to be in the Holyoke area of Massachusetts this weekend (an hour and a half west of Boston), perhaps you can catch Joey Fala’s concert at the United Church, Sunday, June 18 at 2:00 pm. It is the first concert he is playing post-Yale, having graduated with a Master of Music degree… Read More Destination NC via MA and HI
Wha-at?! The sound coming from the next room was unmistakably Mozart, but where it was coming from was my son’s living room, the most unlikely of places! Indeed, my daughter-in-law had researched the influence of the music of Mozart upon babies, and my son told me that my first grandson had “heard” the Mozart recordings… Read More Baby Mozart
This afternoon, I will be playing for the St. Andrew’s Priory Class of 2017 Commencement ceremony at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. I remember that it was always one of Carl Crosier’s favorite events of the year—he says it always filled him with such pride and joy. Even though he did not ever actually have a daughter… Read More Tears of happiness
A couple of days ago I was surprised to get more than 60 “Likes” when I posted this photo of the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists after our Annual Dinner Meeting at the Mandalay Restaurant. I’m guessing that people were surprised to see so many people in the picture! Oh, not everyone pictured here… Read More Taking the organ to the people
Yesterday, I received the following post from Happiness Heroes and shared it on my Facebook wall. In 1969, Mr. Rogers gave the following emotional plea to a Senate Subcommittee. Nixon was trying to cut funding for PBS. Mr. Rogers was trying to save it. This speech is one of many fantastic memories that remind us just… Read More An organist in the Neighborhood
Thanks to the miracle of the Internet and Facebook, I was able to catch a glimpse of my former student, Joey Fala, at the Yale commencement ceremonies held last week as he was granted a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance. I had the same feelings as when my husband and I held our… Read More We did this!