The Sunday after Easter is sometimes referred to as Low Sunday. One website described it this way: The word “low” may serve to contrast it with the “high” festival of Easter on the preceding Sunday. Or, the word “low” may be a corruption of the Latin word laudes, the first word of a sequence used in… Read More The week after Easter
Today is September 11th, and the airwaves are filled with memories of the horrific events of September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airplanes and used them as weapons. Everyone has a story of remembering where you were when you found out about the attacks, the fall of the World Trade Center towers, the attack on… Read More Seventy-eight years ago today …
A few days ago, I received an email from my friend and former organist duet partner, Jieun Kim Newland. Hi Kathy, A good friend of mine, Russell Weismann is visiting Honolulu. He and I studied together at ISM (Institute of Sacred Music). He is a fabulous organist and is teaching at Georgetown University. Russ is also… Read More Distinguished visitor
Last night was the first of two performances of the Fauré Requiem by the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble, conducted by Tim Carney, with soloists Martina Bingham and Buz Tennent. This was by far the biggest concert crowd since the pandemic, and people even sat in the chairs above the board room (which I don’t think… Read More All things French
Tributes are pouring in for our dear friend, Dr. Frederick Swann, who passed away last night. Here’s what was posted on the American Guild of Organists Facebook page: From the Diocese of Orange, California and Christ Cathedral: GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2022) — It is with great sadness that the Diocese of Orange and Christ… Read More RIP Fred Swann
I am in Washington as I write this … it’s the morning of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s chosen candidate for Director of Music and Organist has just announced it on Facebook: Sometimes, life is very clear that it is time to move on. This felt right and a new opportunity… Read More Moving on
When last week the Lutheran Church of Honolulu brought a candidate to Hawaii to audition for the job of Music Director and Organist, I thought back to the three church jobs I’ve had since moving here: Church of the Holy Nativity, 1973-1976Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 1978-2012Nuuanu Congregational Church, 2020-present Would you believe that I never… Read More The organist’s audition
“A previous commitment …” That’s what our former business partner, Peter Hallock used to call Thursday night choir rehearsals. “if you are invited to a dinner, or a party on a Thursday night, tell them you have a previous commitment.” For years, in fact, for decades, my Thursday nights were committed to rehearsing with the… Read More A previous commitment
Yesterday was the halfway point, otherwise a Transition Day in our organ festival, “Celebrating the Pipe Organ in Hawaii.” It meant saying goodbye to Katelyn Emerson and her mom, Sue, as they flew to Lihue, Kaua‘i, for Katelyn’s upcoming concert at All Saints Episcopal Church, March 19. We then greeted Alcee Chriss and look forward… Read More Hello and goodbye
This morning Katelyn Emerson and I woke up early to get ready for a class she was going to be teaching at nearby St. Andrew’s Schools—a demonstration of the Aeolian-Skinner organ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral for the girls in the Lower School Choir. You’ll know from my previous posts that the organ is in bad… Read More Ambassador for the organ