Today is the last day of the Three Choirs Festival and we have only scratched the surface on the number of events that are presented. I didn’t want to give you the impression that the only events I wrote about are the only ones that happened — quite to the contrary! I just counted up… Read More Last days in Gloucester
Two Passions have been scheduled for this year’s Three Choirs Festival, Bach’s St. John Passion and the other by the little-known composer, Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, called Die leidende und am Creutz sterbende Liebe Jesu. In the morning we attended a most interesting lecture by Dr. Paul Ellison titled “A Passion to Rival Bach’s?” I was… Read More In the presence of greatness
I’ve just come from one of the most remarkable and incredible choral concerts ever … here at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester! Tonight we heard the impossibly difficult, 40-part a cappella motet by Thomas Tallis, Spem in alium, for eight choirs of 5 voices each, considered the greatest piece of English early music. I… Read More Spem in alium … and more!
Today we had not elected to purchase tickets for any concerts during the day so we had free time until 5:30 pm Evensong. As we were riding the bus on the way to Gloucester the other day, a sign caught my eye and I suggested to Bill that we tour Coventry Cathedral, the site of… Read More Excursion to Coventry
As is typical at the Three Choirs Festival, the second day is spent going to a Festival Eucharist, Evensong and a concert. Yesterday’s Eucharist featured the Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor, and I couldn’t help but think that I am so so sorry that my husband, Carl, didn’t live long enough to revel… Read More Hog heaven in Gloucester
It was hard to get up this morning, after standing for so many hours at last night’s party, so when I did get out of bed, I turned on the TV to see the funeral of President George H. W. Bush. The service was already in progress, but I think I saw most of it.… Read More For all the saints
“Undimmed grief” is what composer Herbert Howells suffered when he and his wife suffered the loss of their son, Michael, aged nine, from polio. He wrote: I am completely frozen and all the sympathy and kindness in the world couldn’t help. Friends tried, but I knew I had to get something out of me that… Read More An English Farewell
I guess it’s only in America that going to a concert and getting a program is a given. After all, the purpose of a concert program is to know what is coming next. It’s nice to read program notes about the music you’re hearing and knowing how many songs comprise a set is important to… Read More No programs? No problem!
From all accounts, last night’s 40th anniversary of the Beckerath organ was a grand and glorious occasion and the church should feel extremely proud to have put on a first class act. From Joey Fala’s stunning and magnificent playing, to the energetic congregational singing, to the colorful and elegant 16-page souvenir program, to the delicious… Read More Magnificent Joey!
Glory be, Hallelujah, hallelujah! After months of searching, I am happy to report that the original dedication program for the Rudolf von Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu has been found! And it was only located 7,209 miles away, in Hamburg, Germany. I just knew someone had to have saved it! Thanks to… Read More Found it —7,209 miles away!