Now that the Early Music Hawaii concert is over, I can get back to practicing Bach! Finally, I can go back to preparing for my concert on Sunday, October 30th at 7:00 pm, which will be Bach’s Clavierübung III, sometimes called the German Organ Mass. The word Clavierübung means “keyboard practice,” and so you may be asking, “Why,… Read More Back to Bach, RESET!
Today I attended Samuel Lam‘s last service as organist of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. I’ve known Sam for years now ever since he moved back to Hawaii in 1985 after getting his doctorate at the University of Michigan and living in Ann Arbor, MI. Sam grew up in Honolulu and graduated from Hawaiian Mission Academy. I… Read More Mixed emotions
“Bravo to Maestro Dana Marsh and the members of Early Music Hawai‘i on a fantastic (and Spanish!) open to their 2016–17 season!” This was the post on Miguel Felipe’s Facebook page following last night’s concert at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. Any fears that there would be only a small audience (owing to slow advance ticket… Read More Standing ovation
Monday night was Dana Marsh‘s first rehearsal conducting the Early Music Hawaii choir for its upcoming concert, “Spain & The New World,” which will take place on Saturday, September 24th at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, at 7:30 pm. Poor Dana—he had been awake almost 24 hours in flying from New York to Hawaii, yet he still had the… Read More Toe-tapping music
I just now read Padraic Costello‘s post about the St. Thomas Choir in New York, where he is singing now. He writes: Saint Thomas Choir was featured in the New Yorker! We’ve been preparing for a concert (tonight!) with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and with Simon Rattle conducting, in memory of the previous director, John… Read More New York doings
Okay, I haven’t yet recovered from jet lag, but it’s now time to switch gears. From French music and organs, now I have to think “Spanish,” for the upcoming Early Music Hawaii concert, Saturday, September 24th. It’s a concert called Spain and the New World, and will feature the Early Music Hawaii choir and orchestra… Read More Switching gears
I have returned home now, and no matter what my connections, that trip back to Hawaii is l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g! (over 24 hours). The only thing I regret is that I left my jacket at Charles de Gaulle Paris airport security, and didn’t realize it until I started getting cold on the plane. By the time I… Read More Sights and sounds of Lorraine and environs
Someone on the Historic Organ Study Tour (HOST) asked me, “Did you think that this was a study tour or a playing tour?” and I replied that the reason I signed up for this tour was for the experience of playing all these historic organs. Out of the thirty organs we played on the tour,… Read More HOST insights and miscellany
Today we visited Mirecourt, a town which is known for its musical instrument making, primarily stringed instruments. The Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité is where we went to play the organ and what is remarkable, is that you have to enter the organ loft by an outside stairway, something I’d never think I’d see in Europe! (There is… Read More To go up, you go OUT!
Today’s visit to the Cathedral Saint Dié was pure joy, not only for us Historic Organ Study Tour visitors, but for the town of Saint Dié-des-Vosges where they would install a new Bishop a couple hours after our visit. You see, the building was left in ruins following a devastating bomb attack on November 9, 1944.… Read More The old made new again