AGO Hawaii Picture Blog: June 2009

Aaron David Miller, director of music and organist of House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, MN was the featured recitalist at the Hawaii Chapter's Fourth Annual Organ Concert, held on June 12, 2009 at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu. The program was:

Fantasie, op. 43 (William Crawford)

Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (Johann Sebastian Bach)

Papillons (Jacques Ibert)

Sonatina, Op. 136b (Felix Mendelssohn)

Carillon (Dom Paul Benoit)

interval

Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the almighty (Lobe den Herren)

Improvisation (Aaron David Miller)

I. Capriccio

II. Andante

III. Scherzo

IV. Finale

Ruth Pfeiffer congratulates Aaron on his stunning recital.

Aaron meets a young admirer and his mother.

Aaron (second from right) is shown with the Hawaii Chapter AGO Board.

Dr. Robert T. Anderson, retired Chairman of the Organ Department of Southern Methodist University, and honorary member of the Hawaii Chapter AGO, passed away on May 29, 2009 in Honolulu. A memorial service was held at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu on June 3rd . Organist Katherine Crosier played Bob's favorite piece, J. S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E-flat, BWV 552. The Bach Chamber Choir and Orchestra was conducted by Carl Crosier and performed Heinrich Schütz' Psalm 150 (arranged by Martin Jean), and Bach's Cantata 150 Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich. Nyle Hallman, harpist and organist, member of the Hawaii AGO, performed Bach's Jesu joy of man's desiring on the harp. For a PDF version of the complete program, please email Katherine Crosier.

A scholarship fund has been established in his name, the Robert T. Anderson Memorial Scholarship. Additional memorial gifts may be sent to the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists, P. O. Box 161046, Honolulu, HI 96816-0923.

After the service, the congregation was invited to peruse Bob's large collection of photos, CDs, magazines, and other paraphernalia related to the pipe organ. They were welcome to take any or all of it for their own enjoyment. And they did!

A table full of organ CDs before the congregation helped themselves!

Bob was a gourmet cook and loved entertaining. He was known for hosting lavish parties and the reception following the service was no exception! It featured upscale hors d'oeuvres and varietal wines, chilled lemon water and fruit punch. The menu included fresh fruits and berries (grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew and strawberries served with a cinnamon yogurt dip; Hawaiian summer rolls (medley of julienne vegetables wrapped in rice paper, seasoned with fresh mint and served with a pineapple salsa); tiny tomato bites stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with sliced basil and sea salt; vegetable crudite garnished with fresh herbs and served with a creamy spinach dip; cheese and crackers; jumbo shrimp cocktail and cajun-seared ahi on cucumber rounds with sesame wasabi aioli sauce, garnished with green onions.