Hey! Don’t read this post if you are going to Sunday’s Hawaii Vocal Masterworks Festival performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you! In case you want to know what I’m talking about, you need to first know something of the story. Here’s a quick synopsis from Naxos Records: Dido,… Read More Spoiler alert!
Yesterday I thought I was drowning in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas—I was completely overwhelmed! You see, after flying home on Saturday night after 12 days in California to meet my first grandchild, I went to a choral rehearsal the very next day, where I picked up the music for next Sunday’s Hawaii Vocal Masterworks Festival… Read More Drowning in Purcell
Today marked the opening service of the 289th Three Choirs Festival, and I could not help but think the Brits do it best—the pomp, the pageantry and the sheer grandeur of it all. In many ways it was like the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, with the entrance procession lasting 20 minutes! As we… Read More Who can match the Brits?
Today was our last day in Ireland, and those of us who are non-singers had a relatively free day, my first in two weeks! In the morning I went with several others to the National Museum of Ireland (with Viking artifacts the most interesting to me) and the Natural History Museum (The “Dead” Zoo!) In… Read More The view from the organ loft
It took us two hours to get to Waterford, our next stopping point. It is known for its famous Waterford crystal, but unfortunately is no longer manufactured here. We quickly retrieved our bags from underneath the bus, and piled into the small lobby at Treacys Hotel. Already my suitcase and backpack are unbearably heavy and… Read More Jet lag tone
Watch, don’t listen! That’s what I had to keep telling myself during the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus concert today at St. Fin Barre’s. You see, the choir was located in front of the chancel, and the organ console was around the corner. Basically we had our backs to each other and I could not see Tim… Read More Watch, don’t listen!
On my last night in Philadelphia, I was severely challenged to fit everything in my suitcase, and I was up until 1:30 a.m. trying to fit everything I had picked up at the OHS convention. My Honolulu friend, Sam Lam, suggested that I try to mail all the books and pamphlets home, and I wish… Read More No rest for the wicked
Last weekend’s concert at the Mystic Rose Oratory marked the 13th annual Hawaii Masterworks Festival, and completed the 24th season of the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble. You may not know that the HVAE was actually co-founded by three people: David Kayner, Carl Crosier and Tim Carney and the group made its debut with a Big Island… Read More Charter members of HVAE reunite
It worked! Ironing my music for the Fauré Requiem did the trick! (See my previous post “Desperate measures needed” for enlightenment on this comment.) Everything yesterday afternoon at the second performance of the Hawaii Masterworks Festival went extremely well — my music stayed flat, the choir, orchestra and soloists sounded fantastic and I asked Eric… Read More Redeemed!
Last night could only be described in one word: nightmare. You see, I was accompanying the Hawaii Masterworks Festival chorus in their first performance of the Fauré Requiem and my music would not stay open! That meant that every few seconds, I would need to take whatever hand was free at the moment to swat the… Read More Desperate measures needed!