Bravi, tutti! This was the title of an email we performers received from Scott Fikse, director of Saturday’s “Baroque France” concert, and newly-appointed President for Early Music Hawaii. We were especially encouraged by the large and enthusiastic crowd that filled the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. Scott wrote: Congratulations to all of you on a splendid… Read More Bravi, tutti!
This weekend, within the space of 24 hours, I will have performed such a mixed bag of music, that my head is spinning! On Saturday morning, I’ll be practicing Gabriel Fauré’s Messe Basse (1881, rev. 1906) for treble voices, which will be sung at the ordinary for Sunday morning’s High Mass for “The Seven Sorrows… Read More A mixed bag … all within 24 hours!
Tonight was Early Music Hawaii’s dress rehearsal for tomorrow night’s concert: Rome 1600! The Glories of the Italian Baroque. The concert features the Early Music Hawaii Ensemble of Singers and Players, conducted by Scott Fikse. The great dramas of early Baroque Rome were the Oratorios—operatic illustrations of biblical stories, the lives of martyrs or principles… Read More Rome 1600—A grand spectacle!
Just as it was unusual to visit a pipe organ factory in Barcelona, I think what was out of the ordinary today was a visit to an icon workshop in the Meteora region. The owner, a Greek Orthodox priest, was occupied with church duties today, so his son gave us the tour (yes, Greek Orthodox… Read More An icon workshop
I was talking with a friend who wasn’t able to go to the Early Music Hawaii concert last weekend, but she said that the next day at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, *everybody* was talking about the concert and its success. “I went into the Board Room, and they were talking about last night’s concert.… Read More Everybody was talking about …
It’s been a week since I returned home from South America, and after a horrible week of trying to adjust back to this time zone (there’s a difference of 7 hours between Argentina and Hawaii), I’ve now jumped right in and immersed myself in the music for the next Early Music Hawaii concert, “William Byrd:… Read More Immersed in Byrd
Last week, I had an email exchange with Ian Capps, president of Early Music Hawaii, about the William Byrd concert, which now had originally been scheduled for April and now is been rescheduled to May. Thinking that I could get ahead on the project, I set up the ticket program a couple of weeks ago,… Read More No rest for the wicked
And a race to the finish! That pretty much typifies the last week before a trip… but this week things seem particularly frantic. Within the past few days, along with baritone Keane Ishii and Early Music Hawaii President, Ian Capps, we gave a demonstration of early music to over 60 first graders at Pearl City… Read More A flurry of activity
You’ll never guess what I’m practicing now … a piano version of “Let it go,” from the Disney movie, “Frozen”which I’m adapting to play on the harpsichord. It’s generally not the type of music I play, but it’s all to prepare for a school presentation for Early Music Hawaii in a couple of weeks. The… Read More The fastest way to learn
So how was the Polish Renaissance concert? Here are a couple of notes I received: I REALLY enjoyed your solos last night! The whole concert was great, but especially the instrumental numbers. (Mark Russell) Aloha Kathy, Thank you for the excellent concert. What hidden gems you all put together! Interesting to me, having sung in… Read More An inspired performance