From time to time, I’m asked about how many Hawaiian words I know, now that I’ve lived on Oahu since 1973 (forty-seven years)! I mean, you’re bound to pick up some of the lingo in common usage, and even people who have never been to Hawaii know the meaning of “aloha” and “mahalo.” Aloha is… Read More Aloha and mahalo
Last Sunday, I spent the morning at Nuuanu Congregational Church where they honored organist Jieun Kim Newland for her several years of service. It was one of the first services in which the church has resumed in-person services. Everyone had their temperature taken before entering the church and every other pew was blocked off. There… Read More Social distancing
When I first heard the term “flunking retirement,” I thought it was a phrase made up by Betsy McCreary to describe her husband, the late (and great!) organist-choirmaster of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and my predecessor as Chapel Organist at Iolani School, John McCreary. That is because after a long and illustrious career at St. Andrew’s… Read More Flunking retirement
While the numbers of people were few, the enthusiasm was unmistakable of those who were brave enough to come out to a concert in these frightening times of the coronavirus pandemic. There was no problem keeping a “social distance” from other audience members in the large sanctuary. I’m speaking about yesterday’s absolutely phenomenal organ recital… Read More WOW! Absolutely phenomenal!
”You mean, you would play your concert for only one or two people?” Indeed we would, and in fact, Jieun Kim Newland and I actually gave the Dueling Bach concert a total of five times (!) and luckily it has gotten easier each time. We did two run-throughs (in front of a few people) before… Read More Bach—the second time around
A number of people were not able to attend our January 18th concert, and since we put so much work into bringing the program to light (nearly a year’s worth of practice!) we have scheduled an ENCORE CONCERT this Saturday, February 1st at 3:00 pm at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 1730 Punahou Street. Admission… Read More Dueling Bach -ENCORE!
After last night’s Dueling Bach concert for two organs was over, the videographer, Glenn Yoshida, said to me, “People kept turning their heads from side to side—I thought the audience was watching a tennis match!” Yes, the music bounced from one organ to another, just like a tennis ball (and just as fast)! We placed… Read More Bach tennis match?!
When you walk into the Lutheran Church of Honolulu on Saturday night, January 18th, for our Dueling Bach concert, you may notice that the chairs are in a slightly different configuration. With the main Beckerath organ on one end of the church, and the Beckerath continuo organ on the other, the chairs have been arranged… Read More The best seat in the house
People often inquire about my eyesight, given the knowledge that I was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in both eyes nearly 7 years ago: wet AMD in my right eye and dry AMD in my left. Over the past seven years I have been receiving monthly injections in my right eye, which has not… Read More As blind as a bat
Our upcoming “Dueling Bach” concert is now only a week away and only today did I send off an order for gold organ shoes! You remember that this past summer I bought silver organ shoes to wear for Joey Fala’s wedding and I had them shipped directly to North Carolina, not willing to risk any… Read More The quest for gold … shoes!