One term my late husband used to say before any of our deadlines is “It’s going to be a race to the finish!” On May 12th the plan is that I’ll be getting on the plane to England and Portugal, but what I have to do in the meantime is almost an unending list of… Read More A race to the finish!
Last week, I was tasked with trying to find an image for Early Music Hawaii’s last concert of the season, “From Venice to Dresden,” which will feature the music of Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672). Here was the text I was given by Ian Capps, President: Heinrich Schütz was the most prominent of many German composers who… Read More From Venice to Dresden
I have this fantasy that when you’re retired, you’re able to throw away your alarm clock! No such luck, I still get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning, even though I may have stayed up past midnight to watch Spanish language telenovelas! It’s a fact of life, like death and taxes, that a musician’s life… Read More Delusions of retirement
I’m going to be playing in the next First Mondays concert, March 2, at 7:00 pm at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, titled “The Court of Weissenfels,” which will feature music of the composers who worked there: Bach, Handel and Johann Philip Krieger (1649-1725). As you can see, the concert has an all-Star cast: I’m… Read More A day in Weissenfels
When I gave my speech on April 14th at the celebration of my 35 years at LCH, you may recall that I recited a litany of my other careers: statistical typist, preschool secretary, handbell teacher, notary public, computer specialist, wedding coordinator, parish administrator, etc. In that regard, I’m no different from many other church musicians… Read More Dual careers
Today we laid Canon Organist Emeritus John McCreary to rest. The other day when I brought dinner to Betsy, his widow, she invited our houseguest, John Graham, and Carl and myself to the viewing and burial. (John was buried with a martini glass and an organ pipe!) John Graham, who is here to attend McCreary’s… Read More Pie Jesu
Yesterday was New Year’s Day, and Carl Crosier and I attended the German Vespers service at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. People were genuinely surprised to see us — for we had just said goodbye on Christmas Day. I must admit it was pretty strange seeing and hearing the service from a completely different vantage… Read More A different vantage point
It was very cold today (55 deg. F) but we decided to visit Weissenfels, the childhood home of Heinrich Schütz, about 40 minutes by train. When we got there, our first stop was the Marienkirche, which a caretaker opened for us specially, along with two other visitors to the BachFest in Leipzig. Even though Schütz… Read More Visiting Weissenfels
We decided to go back to the Nikolaikirche for Sunday service based on the music list: Cantata 76 and Motet 6. Also Carl had left all of the umbrellas we just purchased in a bag under his seat, and we wanted to find out if the bag was still there. Unfortunately it wasn’t. Today’s service… Read More Sunday in Leipzig
This coming Sunday evening, October 30th, is the Eve of Reformation, when the Lutheran Church of Honolulu Choir and Bach Chamber Orchestra will present a concerted vespers. Most people around LCH would refer to it as Bach Vespers, even though other composers will be represented. It will be a service, in that scripture will be… Read More Concerted vespers