This has already been a fantastic convention but the Steering Committee of the 2019 AGO West Region Convention absolutely saved the best for last with the closing night performance by Paul Jacobs, one of the youngest department chairs appointed to the famed Juilliard School of Music and the only organist with a Grammy. This is… Read More Saving the best for last, Paul Jacobs!
Tonight was the opening event of the 2019 American Guild of Organists West Region Convention in Irvine, CA. It was billed as the Opening Service in the convention program, but as a concert in the app. [Things have certainly gone high tech at AGO conventions!] This being a worship service, we were admonished not to… Read More Concert or service?
You wouldn’t ordinarily laugh during a classical concert, but a lot of people couldn’t help themselves last Saturday night at the “Think Outside the Bach” concert. It came during Michal Nowicki‘s reading of PDQ Bach’s biography (in his beautifully accented English), who is described by PDQ’s creator, Peter Schickele as “the son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Anna… Read More You wouldn’t ordinarily laugh …
61 people “liked” my post when I asked this question on my Facebook page with some photos. Only one person, Susan Haas, seemed to know what I was up to when I showed off my dining table. If you count the number of plates, you will come up with the number nine—which is how many… Read More Guess who’s coming to dinner?
After playing for two services each Sunday for the last three weeks at Holy Nativity, this coming Sunday I’m going to be back at Waiokeola Congregational Church filling in for Gloria Faltstrom. You remember that the last time I was scheduled to play there, I couldn’t get the organ to turn on and ended up… Read More Lazy organist? or one music fits all!
In his introduction to the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra concert, President Michael Titterton told us tonight would be “a life-changing experience!” You bet it was! I counted five standing ovations and five curtain calls! Tonight was American Guild of Organists (AGO) Night at the Symphony, with guest artist Cameron Carpenter. Listed in the program were Francis… Read More Five standing ovations and five curtain calls!
Last Thursday, my sister, Doris Au MacDonald and her musical partner, Sharon Dennis, (aka The Braeded Chord) arrived for a 12-day concert tour in Hawaii. I can hardly believe that it has been ten years since their last tour here—it was at that time they introduced the Alleluia Mass setting of the communion service to the congregation… Read More The Braeded Chord in Hawaii week
The following is a speech I gave at the Oahu Choral Society’s Vivace! fundraising dinner as the 2018 Dale Noble Award Honoree. Thank you. When I was first called about this award, my first reaction was “ you have got to be kidding! I mean, is this a mistake?” I’m not a person who is… Read More Aw, shucks!
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!”
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