In last night’s memorial service for Pastor Jeff Lilley, following his sudden death, he was described by his son, Seth as: a pastor, a chef, a handyman, a woodworker, a sailor, a therapist, a painter, a musician, a protector, a bouncer when necessary, a driver, an EMT, a mechanic, an electrician, a plumber, a photographer,… Read More Larger than life
Yesterday, the Lutheran Church of Honolulu (my former parish), posted this on their Facebook page: Many people were in shock and grieving, even those outside of the LCH family. These are some of the comments as shared on Facebook: I am shocked and in grief at the sudden passing of pastor and friend Jeff Lilley… Read More Grieving
No question, the performances at organists’ conventions are the best of the best, AND these performers are at the top of their game. We heard two of best this afternoon, Ken Cowan from Rice University and Peter Sykes from Juilliard and Boston University. Ken Cowan played a gorgeous E. M. Skinner organ (1925/1928) at Trinity… Read More Connections
“It’s what musicians do.” That’s what Marie Lickwar said on Wednesday night, when I was at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, my former parish, along with scores of others. It was a benefit concert for the victims of the Maui wildfires, and was presented by jazz and classical musicians in addition to members of the… Read More Music for Maui
I think it was already Wednesday when I decided to have a dinner party Friday. That was last night, when I invited the German organ builders, Hans-Ulrich Erbslöh and Bernd Becker, along with Barry Wenger and Steve Hoover, plus Frank and Sue Haas, who are hosting Hans in their home in Kailua. Barry, as you… Read More Last minute dinner party
It’s not often that there are organ recitals in Hawaii. The Hawaii Chapter of the American Guild of Organists sponsors one recitalist per year, and that person plays a concert in Honolulu and another concert on a neighbor island. But this week, there will be TWO organ recitals on Oahu! Tomorrow night, the new organist… Read More Organ concerts galore
It’s been forty years (gasp!) since I wrote my first annual Christmas letter, The Crosier Chronicle, a yearly recap of my family’s adventures. The reason I know it’s been forty years since that first Chronicle is that 1982 was the year my son, Stephen, was born and this past November, he celebrated his 40th birthday… Read More Forty years!
I am in Washington as I write this … it’s the morning of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s chosen candidate for Director of Music and Organist has just announced it on Facebook: Sometimes, life is very clear that it is time to move on. This felt right and a new opportunity… Read More Moving on