If you were one of the email subscribers to the blog you may have been puzzled by my mention of the Kona Choral Society when I wrapping up my time on the Garden Island, Kaua’i. I must have been tired when I wrote that last post, because of course I meant the Kauai Chorale, directed… Read More In a fog
That was the title of a desperate email I sent to Tim Carney, director of the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble, when I came to try out the organ in the Mystical Rose Oratory this afternoon. The morning started out innocently enough … I began the day with my usual morning walk, then as I was… Read More Houston, we have a problem!
You have NO idea how the following pictures warmed my heart when I saw them on Facebook yesterday: It’s my former student, Joey Fala, who is introducing the organ to the children’s choirs at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC, where he is the Organ Scholar. It was sixteen years ago (May 24,… Read More Passing it on …
Our last night in Prague was spent together at a farewell dinner. The room was noisy with excited conversation and laughter, happiness in meeting new friends and a shared travel experience with long-time friends. Christel Yount made presentations and expressed appreciation to all the soloists, conductors and accompanists. She was also the mastermind of a… Read More Farewell to Prague
One thing I will remember about this Prague trip will certainly be the music making by the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus in beautiful churches with acoustically ambient spaces. Last night’s concert was such a highlight for performers and audience alike. So many people came out smiling and thanking us as they left the church. There is… Read More Music and motorcycles
Tonight was the last concert of the tour, and took place in San Salvator Church—the tour directors only figured out this afternoon that there were TWO San Salvator churches which were having concerts tonight, and they had to scramble to let everyone know that we were in the OTHER San Salvator Church! We were also… Read More Standing ovation in Prague
It was already time to say goodbye to Vienna so after breakfast we loaded our luggage into a trailer attached to our double decker bus. It was only about halfway to our destination that the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus director, Tim Carney, came to tell me that the Abbey had given me permission to play the… Read More Melk Abbey
You may remember that it was last year when I visited Eisenstadt, where composer Josef Haydn lived and is now buried in the Bergkirche, the “Hill” church. Go back and read my post, “Mission to Eisenstadt,” to refresh your memory. It was here that Haydn played the organ and premiered several of his mass settings.… Read More The miracle of Bergkirche
It’s time again for another trip off the island— later this morning I will travel to Los Angeles for my grandson’s first birthday already! That means that I will miss attending the Karolers concert on Saturday, June 2 at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 2:00 pm. The Karolers’ Facebook page describes the event as an… Read More Missing this weekend’s concerts
It was another of those crazy weekends requiring me to shift gears quickly for the music at hand: A rehearsal with the Early Music Hawaii ladies for their dress rehearsal for “Triumph Against the Odds;” a concert with the Iolani School Chorus and Hokuloa Singers (John Alexander, director) in which I played a Mozart orchestral… Read More Three choirs in three days … and more!