This coming week I will be playing the first of several end-of-the-year events for St. Andrew’s Priory School, starting with Ascension Day, the school’s traditional Founders Day event. St. Andrew’s Priory School was founded on Ascension Day, May 30, 1867, by Queen Emma, wife of King Kamehameha IV, and Mother Priscilla Lydia Sellon of the… Read More Getting back to “normal” — almost!
One of my students is playing for the upcoming baccalaureate service for Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic all-girls school here in Honolulu, and asked me to help her with organ registration. It was the first time I had ever been in the chapel there, and was quite amazed when I saw the beautiful interior. We… Read More Baccalaureate time
Tonight as I was reading my email, I came across the weekly listing of events for St. Andrew’s Cathedral and was surprised to read my name there! On May 8 at 7:30 pm, next week Friday, in the Cathedral, will be ‘Iolani School’s annual Spring Concert with the ‘Iolani Chorus and Hokuloa Singers, featuring John… Read More Change is in the air
Last night I received a phone call from the organist of Kilohana United Methodist Church, where I will be the guest organist in a couple weeks. I asked her if the organ had multiple memory levels so that I could set up my own combinations. I was glad when she said I could have any level… Read More Old tricks vs. something new
Are organists the only musicians who never know what to expect when they have to perform on their instruments? I can’t tell you the number of times I have come to the church and found something not working on the organ. There was the time I was scheduled to play Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary in… Read More Handicapped!
1. Lit. to commit murder and not get punished for it. Don’t kill me! You can’t get away with murder! 2. Fig. to do something very bad and not get punished for it. That guy always gets away with murder—just because he’s cute. You will spoil your son if you let him get away with… Read More Getting away with murder
St. Theresa . . . St. Christopher . . . St. Clement . . . St. Andrew. No, I’m not reciting a random list of saints — this is the list of churches for which I have been asked to substitute as organist since “retiring” last Christmas. Someone once said, “Organists never die; they just… Read More A litany of saints
It was just about ten days ago that I found out that I was one of four organists who were asked to play the prelude for John McCreary’s funeral service. To say that I was flattered and honored is an understatement! John Renke, the Cathedral organist, asked what each of us wanted to play, and I… Read More Guessing . . . and groping
A couple of weekends ago, when we were in the Los Angeles area, we used the GPS on my iPhone to give us directions from St. James Episcopal Church to a restaurant in Burbank where we wanted to eat. And so we found ourselves on Highland Avenue, and I said to my son, “Look! There’s… Read More A visit to the past