I have to say that this year’s Holy Week has been about as unholy and unlike any other which I spent in church music. Oh yes, I remember the years of spending the entire week at the church, and even yesterday, when I went to give an organ lesson, I saw the church set up… Read More The week after Easter
Several of my organ students have been in the news lately, and I have never been more proud! Oh, they weren’t in the news because of their organ playing—and that’s perfectly okay. But the fact that they also happen to play the organ makes them special in my eyes. Today was the March for our… Read More Never been more proud
I’ve had a houseguest for a week—my good friend Joan Ishibashi, a United Church of Christ pastor, massage therapist, former Hawaii resident for 15 years, and all-around BFF (best friends forever!) Nearly five years ago my husband Carl, son Stephen and I were in Los Angeles, attending Joan’s wedding to Kantila Vaghela, where I wrote… Read More I survived an amazing weekend!
Last night, I went to the first of the two-concert series, Echoes and Refrains, and of course, I recognized a lot of people from my life before—when I was the organist at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu for 35 years. Of course, I go to the church four days a week to teach organ lessons… Read More Ear candy
Fantastic Early Music Hawaii concert at LCH tonight! Congratulations and thank you to Scott Fikse for leading the charge, Katherine Crosier and the orchestra for great music and the singers, notably Naomi Castro, Keane Ishii, Karol Nowicki, Sarah Lambert Connelly, Mitchell Moriwaki, Bowe Souza, Taylor Rei Ishida, and Georgine Duncan Stark for a wonderful performance!… Read More Standing ovation for Perfect Purcell
Enough of this jet lag! Just yesterday, I figured that I’d better start working on the music for next weekend’s Early Music Hawaii concert, especially since I was to attend my first rehearsal last night. The concert features Scott Fikse conducting the Early Music Hawaii Singers and Players and will take place at the Lutheran… Read More Prepping for Purcell
[Yesterday I started to share Carl Crosier’s 2008 article from Cross Accent, the journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, “A Personal Journey to the Bach Passions.” Here’s the second part.] “Although the St. Matthew Passion had been presented several times before in Honolulu, it had only been sung in English, in an adapted… Read More St. Matthew Passion: Part Two
On Saturday night, I fell off the organ platform after the Early Music Concert and sprained my ankle (see my post “Swan dive!“). Witness this text conversation between Georgine Stark and me today. In case you don’t know, classically trained organists use BOTH feet to play the pedals and turn their noses up at amateurs… Read More My left foot
How many times have I stepped off the organ platform at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu? A zillion times, to be sure. But tonight after the Early Music Hawaii concert (which went very well, by the way), I misjudged the distance to the floor. The next thing I knew, my eyes were face to face… Read More Swan dive!
Ever since I returned from my mainland trip, I have had to hit the ground running. For the last three nights I have rehearsed with the Early Music Hawaii Chamber Singers for our concert tomorrow night, 7:30 pm at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. It has made for some very long days, each beginning with… Read More Kings and Queens