The following speech was given by Karl Bachman at the Oahu Choral Society’s Vivace! fundraising dinner at the Bishop Museum, March 3, 2018. We are here to honor Katherine Crosier this evening, but I would like to begin by thanking the Oahu Choral Society for asking me to speak a word on her behalf. In… Read More “Cain’t say, No!”
https://youtu.be/0YW-uv3Ibm8 Since I grew up without television, I had never watched the show, “Queen for a Day,” which began as a radio show in 1945 then ran on NBC Television from 1956-1960 and on ABC from 1960-1964. Every show began with the question, “Would YOU like to be Queen for a day?” A number of… Read More Queen for a Day
It was months and MONTHS ago that Jeremy Wong asked me to be part of a baroque concert with the University of Hawaii Chamber Singers—in fact, I think it was while I was on some European trip last summer, and I thought, sure, fine, no problem! It was only after I was asked about being… Read More Voices of the Baroque
I’ve enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics lately and wondered if organ playing were ever an Olympic sport, I think we would have all rated this afternoon’s organ recital by Yuri McCoy a Gold Medal performance! This afternoon was the 13th Annual Organ Concert of the Hawai’i Chapter American Guild of Organists, and all I could… Read More Joyous homecoming
A few weeks ago, Waiokeola Church’s organist, Gloria Faltstrom, asked whether I would be available to play a funeral at her church on February 24. The reason was that the family of the deceased had requested “Nimrod” as the postlude. Apparently Gloria had agreed to play the funeral before learning of this request. “I have… Read More The most popular funeral song?
Where were you when you heard about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? Where were you when you heard about the Challenger spaceship explosion? How did you hear about the planes flying into the World Trade Center and other events of September 11? It was one of those major life events which shake you… Read More Where were you when?
If ever there was a two-headed person with three hands, that was what we in a sold-out audience saw and heard at tonight’s stunning Hawaii Symphony Orchestra concert with JoAnn Falletta, conductor. It was absolutely phenomenal! That was my reaction to tonight’s concert with Lang Lang and his 15-year-old protégé, Maxim Lando—their ensemble was so… Read More Absolutely phenomenal!
You may remember my telling you about my husband Carl’s unique voice, in which I wrote: The child was in great demand as a boy soprano, having a voice “as clear as a bell.” He found himself singing solos not only at church, but at ball games and for Elks and Lions Clubs. Cousin Marie… Read More Aloha, Auntie Neva
https://youtu.be/z76jNFpdXkI I, along with 2,157 other lucky people, will be able to hear world-famous Chinese pianist, Lang Lang, live in Honolulu on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 4:00 pm. I know exactly how many people will be there because there are exactly 2,158 seats at Blaisdell Concert Hall, and the concert is SOLD OUT! For… Read More Lang Lang in Honolulu!
Last Sunday, I went to the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s production of Donizetti’s “Daughters of the Regiment,” and what I absolutely loved was the famous tenor aria, “Ah! Mes amis, quel jour de fête!” which features NINE high Cs. The whole opera was characterized by Honolulu Star Advertiser reviewer Ruth O. Bingham as “lighthearted entertainment featuring spectacular… Read More Tenor High Cs