The subject of churches reopening and permitting in-person worship services has been all over the news in the last couple of days, and in Hawaii, Mayor Kirk Caldwell has said that May 23rd is the day that services may resume. In-person spiritual services will once again be allowed starting Saturday, as long as worshippers follow… Read More Churches reopening, but …
Last night I got notice that my former organ student, Christopher Lindsay, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California (my alma mater)! Here’s the message from his mom, Holly: Thank you for your incredible support, wise advice, and faith that enabled Christopher to graduate today from USC. He graduated magna cum laude… Read More Where did the time go?
The term I hear over and over these days is “the new normal.” Just last January I was telling someone how grateful I was that I didn’t have to depend only on Social Security and could still earn money in my retirement by playing the organ for church services, by teaching and by accompanying for… Read More An uncertain future
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and my sister Doris posted our mother’s picture with this comment: Thinking of my mom and celebrating her on this Mother’s Day. She was the ultimate role model that I could never live up to– a pediatrician, mother of five, involved in church and community events, chauffeur to swim lessons, piano… Read More When I was thirteen …
You may recall that when I retired from the organist position at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu that one of the things I would miss most was accompanying congregational singing. There’s something thrilling about pulling out all the stops and “letting it rip,” while supporting the exhilarating sound of people singing. Oh, I’ve accompanied plenty… Read More Will we ever sing together again?
When I opened the newspaper today, I was stunned to find the obituary for C. Robert Clarke, who died April 5, 2020, surrounded by his family. Chances are, most of our church music friends and colleagues won’t have heard of or known this kind and generous man, but he was a very important person and… Read More RIP C. Robert Clarke, 1926-2020
April 27, 2014 was the day our business partner and friend of 38 years, composer and church musician Peter R. Hallock passed from this life to the next. I invite you to reread the posts I wrote six years ago to mourn his passing: In paradisum, Peter Hallock: Announcement of his death on April 27,… Read More Six years ago today
It was just about a month ago that I dragged out my sewing machine and started making cloth face masks—an activity which has consumed me 10-12 hours a day for the last few weeks. The motivation for sewing masks came from my son and daughter-in-law, who complained that the Los Angeles mayor had mandated the… Read More From Honolulu with love …
A couple of weeks ago I joined in a Zoom meeting of Deans in the American Guild of Organists. The Dean of the AGO Chapter is like the local president, and I am completing my second year. I think this is at least my third, and maybe even my fourth (!) stint as Dean of… Read More Just called to say ‘Hello’
In the years that I was in church music, Holy Week was known as Holy Hell Week in our household, in that we had nine choral services to perform in the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Day. None of the services was identical; each had its special chants, hymns, anthems and motets—the choir probably… Read More An Easter weekend like no other