This blog supposedly has the underlying theme of music but sometimes I deviate to include travel, art, and today, food. For seventeen years, Chef George Mavrosalassitis, a James Beard winner whose Honolulu restaurant, Chef Mavro, has been awarded a five-diamond star rating for six years in a row, presented a dinner for supporters of Hawaii Public… Read More Springtime in Provence
On my Hawaii Public Radio interview today, somehow the name of Joey Fala came up, my former organ student, as I explained how public radio supports and endorses non-profit groups such as the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and Early Music Hawaii (EMH) by publicizing their events. You see, we sponsor one organ concert per year and every time, we… Read More Keeping up with Joey
This has certainly been a week of parties — social events three days in a row with organists! Wednesday was the luncheon with my former organ students, then last night I had dinner with organist Bruce Bengtson from Madison, WI, then tonight was our Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists Dean’s Reception at the Pacific Club —… Read More My peeps!
Today Jason Anderson, second Director of the Compline Choir (Seattle), posted the above picture on Facebook, reminiscing about Peter Hallock’s 85th birthday party celebration on November 21, 2009. Jason wrote: Six years ago, the stars aligned and I was privileged to dine with Peter Hallock and Richard Proulx at Chez Hallock. Carl & Kathy Crosier produced… Read More To those we love but see no longer
“Britten? I thought I was only playing Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms!” (for the University of Hawaii Choirs concert this weekend). So the day before I left for Italy, I got an email from Miguel Felipe titled “would you hate me if …” and the rest of the message said, “…I told you there was another piece I… Read More Back to Bernstein and Britten
Last night our Hawaii chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) had its Pau Hana Posaune, an informal pupu and cocktail party at a local restaurant. Now, a few definitions for you in case I’m using unfamiliar terms to you non-Hawaiians, non-organists. The term pau hana is a familiar one in Hawaii and means “the time… Read More Below the surface
In my last post, I mentioned my houseguest, Jason Anderson, the second director of the Seattle Compline Choir. You may recall from a previous post that Jason wrote his doctoral dissertation on the life and works of composer Peter Hallock and became his caregiver in his last days. Jason also took over as executor of his estate when… Read More Buried treasure
This was the first time I have attended an Organ Historical Society (OHS) convention and I have asked a number of the attendees how they perceived it is different from the conventions of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). Over and over I was told that “at AGO it’s about the personalities, and at OHS… Read More Personalities vs. Organs
Yesterday, one day after the magnificent 40th Anniversary celebration of the Beckerath organ, twenty members of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists came to “The Marble Palace in the Sky,” (my condo) — for the members’ annual meeting and to see the newest pipe organ in Honolulu: the “box organ” built by… Read More Baby’s coming out party
In the last week, this blog has received numerous hits while searching for “McNeil Robinson,” who died on May 9, 2015. Here is what the American Guild of Organists posted on its website: McNeil Robinson 1943-2015 The American Guild of Organists is sad to announce the death of internationally renowned organist and composer McNeil Robinson… Read More In loving memory, McNeil Robinson