(L-R Margaret Lloyd, Nyle Hallman, Connie Uejio, oboist Brian Greene)Organ Spectacular in Honolulu, October 19, 2008 was an evening filled with beautiful music for organ and harp and starring AGO Hawaii's own Nyle Hallman, organist emerita of Central Union Church. Nyle was assisted ably by organist Margaret Lloyd and harpist/organist Constance Harding Uejio. We heard music for solo organ, solo harp, one harp and organ, two harps and organ, and two harps.
The program included:
Evensong, op. 68 (Charles Callahan)
Processional for Harp and Organ (Daniel Burton)
First Arabesque (Claude Debussy/trans. Carlos Salzedo)
Pisgah (Dale Wood)
Fairest Lord Jesus (arr. Garth Edmunson)
Prelude from Partita No. 3 for Two Harps (J.S. Bach/arr. Mschedelov)
Siciliano (J.S. Bach/arr. Gail Barber)
Playful Pizzicata for Two Harps (Benjamin Britten)
Bolero for Harps (Robert Barclay)
Ornament of Grace for Oboe and Organ (Bernard Wayne Sanders)
Ten Thousand Harps and Voices (Lowell Mason/arr. Susann McDonald & Diane Bish)
Kawohi Ku Kapulani and I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You (H.D. Beamer/R. Alex Anderson)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (arr. Michael Burkhardt)
Surely one of the highlights of the evening was the singing of "Hymn Hallman," the text of which was commissioned by the AGO Hawaii Chapter, in celebration of Nyle Hallman. Sung to the tune, "Lasst uns erfreuen," (All Creatures of Our God and King), the words were written by The Rev. Fritz Fritschel of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.
For nearly thirty years they played
Ecclesiastic music made,
Roy and Nyle
On this isle.
Their skills brought endless harmony
To Union’s faithful company.
With their choirs
All afire.
Roy and Nyle,
On this isle,
Brings a smile.
She sat at organs as a child
Pulling the stops while going wild
On the keyboard,
Like a surfboard.
Her feet and fingers fairly flew,
In major keys and minor, too.
On the keyboard
Like a surfboard,
Fairly sailing
Never failing.
E’er prevailing.
Once taught by Porter and by Sykes,
Coci, McCurdy and the likes
Worthy mentors
Known presenters
They taught her how to play her best,
Pipes, pistons, pedals and celeste.
Worthy mentor
Known presenter
Always giving
For the living
In thanksgiving.
Gave orchestra ephemeral flair,
With sounds of angels’ favorite air,
Fingers strumming,
Harp strings humming,
Her backseat prowess blessed the crowd,
With plucking sounds as on a cloud,
Here crescendo,
There glissando,
Now ritardo,
Soon allegro,
Ne’er pellegro.
Now for the notes as yet unplayed,
We raise our songs in accolade,
Let ‘er ring,
Let’s all sing.
Let music warm the hearts of all
New melodies the crowds enthrall,
Fancy fugues
Prim preludes
All the while,
Shades of Nyle,
All in style.
The program included:
Evensong, op. 68 (Charles Callahan)
Processional for Harp and Organ (Daniel Burton)
First Arabesque (Claude Debussy/trans. Carlos Salzedo)
Pisgah (Dale Wood)
Fairest Lord Jesus (arr. Garth Edmunson)
Prelude from Partita No. 3 for Two Harps (J.S. Bach/arr. Mschedelov)
Siciliano (J.S. Bach/arr. Gail Barber)
Playful Pizzicata for Two Harps (Benjamin Britten)
Bolero for Harps (Robert Barclay)
Ornament of Grace for Oboe and Organ (Bernard Wayne Sanders)
Ten Thousand Harps and Voices (Lowell Mason/arr. Susann McDonald & Diane Bish)
Kawohi Ku Kapulani and I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You (H.D. Beamer/R. Alex Anderson)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (arr. Michael Burkhardt)
Surely one of the highlights of the evening was the singing of "Hymn Hallman," the text of which was commissioned by the AGO Hawaii Chapter, in celebration of Nyle Hallman. Sung to the tune, "Lasst uns erfreuen," (All Creatures of Our God and King), the words were written by The Rev. Fritz Fritschel of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.
For nearly thirty years they played
Ecclesiastic music made,
Roy and Nyle
On this isle.
Their skills brought endless harmony
To Union’s faithful company.
With their choirs
All afire.
Roy and Nyle,
On this isle,
Brings a smile.
She sat at organs as a child
Pulling the stops while going wild
On the keyboard,
Like a surfboard.
Her feet and fingers fairly flew,
In major keys and minor, too.
On the keyboard
Like a surfboard,
Fairly sailing
Never failing.
E’er prevailing.
Once taught by Porter and by Sykes,
Coci, McCurdy and the likes
Worthy mentors
Known presenters
They taught her how to play her best,
Pipes, pistons, pedals and celeste.
Worthy mentor
Known presenter
Always giving
For the living
In thanksgiving.
Gave orchestra ephemeral flair,
With sounds of angels’ favorite air,
Fingers strumming,
Harp strings humming,
Her backseat prowess blessed the crowd,
With plucking sounds as on a cloud,
Here crescendo,
There glissando,
Now ritardo,
Soon allegro,
Ne’er pellegro.
Now for the notes as yet unplayed,
We raise our songs in accolade,
Let ‘er ring,
Let’s all sing.
Let music warm the hearts of all
New melodies the crowds enthrall,
Fancy fugues
Prim preludes
All the while,
Shades of Nyle,
All in style.
1 comment:
Nyle Hallman was my first organ
teacher. That was in Portland, OR,
summer 1954-summer, 1955. Organ
was the 1943 Estey in the OLD
1st Methodist Church at SW
12th/Taylor. She was an excellent
teacher for a beginning organist.
That church was torn down in 1956
and the present church was built
and the Wicks organ was installed
in 1957.
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