You have heard that expression, “Kissing the Blarney Stone?” Well, the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus is here in Blarney, Ireland, and we indeed visited Blarney Castle, originally built in 1210, but the current structure dates from 1446. It is the home of the famous Blarney Stone. The castle was located just a 5-minute walk from our… Read More Kissing the Blarney stone
Watch, don’t listen! That’s what I had to keep telling myself during the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus concert today at St. Fin Barre’s. You see, the choir was located in front of the chancel, and the organ console was around the corner. Basically we had our backs to each other and I could not see Tim… Read More Watch, don’t listen!
On my last night in Philadelphia, I was severely challenged to fit everything in my suitcase, and I was up until 1:30 a.m. trying to fit everything I had picked up at the OHS convention. My Honolulu friend, Sam Lam, suggested that I try to mail all the books and pamphlets home, and I wish… Read More No rest for the wicked
Today was the last day of the Organ Historical Society convention and we boarded the buses for the Atlantic City Boardwalk on the New Jersey shore. Yes, the home of the Miss America pageant and the Trump Taj Mahal is also the home of the world’s largest organ in the Boardwalk Auditorium, seven manuals, 33,112… Read More The World’s Largest Organ (the Loudest?)
After getting back to the hotel so late after the Wanamaker concert, probably the last thing I wanted to do was to go to a hymn festival. What was unique about this festival, however, was that we had been given a newly published hymnbook by the OHS, and all of the hymns were by Philadelphia… Read More A day in Delaware
No doubt about it, tonight hearts and minds were moved and changed and 527 people from the Organ Historical Society underwent a profound religious experience — at Macy’s in Philadelphia, home of the famous Wanamaker organ. We arrived at the store about 7:00 pm where we went into the Greek Hall to hear Andrew Van… Read More A religious experience … at Macy’s
It’s Wednesday of OHS week and today we heard some very LOUD organs. The morning started out with a drive to the Chapel of St. Joseph at St. Joseph University, a contemporary building with an historic 1868 E. & G.G. Hook organ. Eric Plutz of Princeton University was scheduled to play and yet his program… Read More Is loud better? necessary?
If you are an organist, you know this is a famous work in C major by Johann Sebastian Bach. However it is also the title of the stunning work for organ and percussion which was premiered on Monday night by composer Kurt Knecht. This fabulous work was commissioned by the Organ Historical Society in celebration… Read More Toccata, Adagio and Fugue
This morning, I got a text message out of the blue while I was walking into St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia: “Did I see you this morning from a distance? Will look for you at Girard tonight. Bruce” Surprise, surprise! It was from organist friend Bruce Bengtson who is visiting the Organ Historical Society… Read More You never know who you’ll run into …
Tonight was billed as “A Grand Celebration” commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Organ Historical Society and the 10th anniversary of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. It took place at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. We learned that Fred Haas, whose family foundation has… Read More Dobson at the Kimmel