This morning our Iolani School Chaplain, the Rev. Daniel Leatherman (whose mom, by the way, studies organ with me) and I worked on configuring the school’s Virtual Organ which we use in the gymnasium for four All-School Chapels a year. It consists of two keyboards and a pedalboard and uses software called Hauptwerk on a… Read More The Virtual Organ and the Virtual Organist
As you may recall from a previous post, I am practicing and being totally consumed by the Great Eighteen chorales of Bach, BWV 651-668. It was my need to “get myself a project” now that I am down to three jobs (from four, formerly). It’s been about a month now, and I have decided… Read More The teacher as student
“I need a project!” I told my husband, Carl, a couple of weeks ago. We were reminiscing about an all-Bach concert he and I played in 1979 in which between the two of us, we performed Bach’s Clavierübung III, the so-called “German Organ Mass,” a collection of 21 chorale preludes, bookended by the Prelude and Fugue in… Read More Back to practicing Bach
I am on vacation in California, unfortunately recovering from food poisoning (not from Carl’s cooking!) and I got an email message from John Renke: Hi Kathy, What are those two little levers in the picture? John Ah, this is a gadget on the Beckerath organ that even long-time organists don’t know about! These are adjustable… Read More Adjustable tremulants
and we’ll be celebrating by performing lots of Bach at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu this Holy Week and Easter. There are certain pieces that I play every year, and that includes works by the birthday boy, 327 years young today. On Maundy Thursday, I always play “O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig” (O Lamb of God… Read More It’s Bach’s birthday
When I teach my young students about playing the organ, I ask them, “And what is the last thing you do after you finish playing your piece?” Push the Cancel button! That is to cancel any stops that are on to eliminate any “oops!” moments if your fingers happen to touch any keys by mistake… Read More An Organist’s ‘Oops!’
At last night’s Worship and Music committee meeting, we were reviewing last Sunday’s Children’s Sabbath, and the fact that one of my organ students played most of the liturgical music plus the postlude. “Another student from the Hawaii School for Organ Playing,” Miguel Felipe joked. Even though I’ve been teaching organ since 1973, it’s only… Read More Hawaii School for Organ Playing
In a recent email, Miguel Felipe reminded me that this Sunday will be his first hymn mass. For as long as I’ve been at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu (or, at least as long as I can remember!) I have played the organ on the fourth and fifth Sundays of the month at the 8… Read More The Hymn Mass
I just heard a promo for this week’s “From the Top” radio program on public radio, a showcase for young classical musicians. This week’s broadcast will feature a young organist from Texas, and Christopher O’Riley, host, said, “What motivates a young person to take up this majestic instrument?” For the past twenty years, there’s been… Read More The organ is not dead!