Let me tell you —It’s been a rough week! I’m writing this in the lobby of United Airlines at Honolulu International Airport as I wait for my flight to Seattle. I have always been a lousy sleeper but this week takes the cake. The pseudo-jet lag is like when I’ve just come back from Europe,… Read More Sleepless in Honolulu
Last weekend was the 79th birthday of Joseph Hansen, whom you may remember was the Music Director of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu before Carl Crosier. Joe sent me a long email last August about the Beckerath organ selection process—much of which I never heard before. I knew that Carl was sent to the mainland to… Read More Another piece of the puzzle
That organ music could be FUN?! Most people, unfortunately, associate organ music with the macabre, Phantom of the Opera, vampires dripping with blood, horror films and the like. Never in a million years would people think of music for the organ as cute or humorous. But that’s what tonight was all about, our Organists… Read More Whoever thought …
Nah, just kidding! I’m 100% Chinese-American! On Saturday, though, I was made an Honorary Member of the German Benevolent Society of Honolulu at their August meeting! Certificate of Honorary Membership presented to Katherine Crosier. The GBS Board and its membership would like to thank you for your selfless devotion to the Society and its mission… Read More I’m part-German!
Today Hans-Ulrich Erbsloeh and I took the train to downtown Hamburg, about a 35-minute ride away. It’s super convenient to take the train from his house—only two houses away from the station! By taking the train, we won’t have to hassle with trying to find a parking space, which is always a challenge. Our first… Read More An organ to love
Today Hans-Ulrich Erbsloeh and I traveled to Lübeck, about 80 km from Hamburg. Our first stop was at a music conservatory (Musikhochschule) which has a Beckerath organ in a see-through case. That is to say that there is plexiglass everywhere so you can see inside—even plexiglass swell shades! This, I assume, is for teaching purposes—what… Read More Plexiglass in the organ!
In spite of only coming back to Hawaii on Tuesday, I’ve had to hit the ground running and will be playing several different organs within the week. Next weekend will especially be busy because of a Friday night rehearsal and Sunday concert at St. John Vianney, playing the prelude for Pastor Fritz Fritschel‘s funeral service… Read More Planning ahead for a busy week
Visiting Korean organist… that was the title of an email message I received in early November last year. It was from the Rev. Brian Grieves, an Episcopal priest I had worked with at the Church of the Holy Nativity some forty years ago! An organist friend from Korea, Byong-Suk Moon, will be visiting Hawaii in… Read More Visiting Korean organist
“Bravo to Maestro Dana Marsh and the members of Early Music Hawai‘i on a fantastic (and Spanish!) open to their 2016–17 season!” This was the post on Miguel Felipe’s Facebook page following last night’s concert at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. Any fears that there would be only a small audience (owing to slow advance ticket… Read More Standing ovation
Maybe you’ve seen this picture shared around the internet lately, with the question, “Have you ever just stopped and realized that if you hadn’t met a certain person, your entire life would be completely different?” For sure, when I met Carl Crosier, my musical repertoire became much more focused on the works of Bach, as… Read More Continuing the tradition