Music News and Notes
Dana returned from his sabbatical on October 13. We'll keep his blog posted for a few more weeks for those of you who may want to learn more about his activities. Meanwhile we are hearing the results of his work during Sunday services.
A Husker in New York
Darn right I'm from Nebraska! Youse godda a problem wid dat?
Follow these links to WEEK 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
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October 10 Final Blog
Sunday was my last day at First Presbyterian and it was indeed a great day. The choir sang music by Britten (Jubilate Deo in E) and Sowerby, and I conducted them in their introit, a piece by Rachmaninoff. I also had the opportunity to play the postlude as well.
I returned for one last visit to St. Thomas Church for 
Evensong and Organ Recital. The Evensong service featured the "Admission of Choristers". The admission of choristers is essentially a graduation ceremony in which a boy who has completed his probationary period in the St. Thomas Choir School (http://www.choirschool.org/), a full-time boarding school in which all the boys are members of the church choir, is admitted to full membership in the choir.
http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/. It was a beautiful service, well attended by parents and family members of the newly admitted choristers.
As a part of the ceremony, each boy was greeted and congratulated by the Rector and given the following charge:
Let that which you sing with your lips,
You believe in your heart.
And, that which you believe in your heart,
You live in your life.
October 9
Saturday was one of those quiet, lazy days that we all need sometimes. I began by doing a bit of work to get ready to pack and went out for a late brunch. The main attraction of the day was to go to "Time Stands Still" with Laura Linney http://timestandsstillonbroadway.com/google.php The performances had received rave reviews. I was not disappointed. This is not your light-hearted Broadway musical but rather a full-blooded drama about the nature of human relationships that explores several themes. It was complex enough that I would welcome the chance to see it again, but will not be the case this trip.
http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/theater/reviews/
It was a beautiful day and I wanted to do a bit of exploring. Friends had recommended Zabars at 80th and Broadway so I took off to this so-called wonderland of groceries and kitchen equipment. I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it. http://www.zabars.com/our-store-on-broadway/OUR_STORE_ON_BROADWAY,default,pg.html
October 8
Friday was another busy day. 
St. Vincent Ferrer Chancel Organ
I'm picking up the pace trying to do everything that I can as my time in New York draws to a close. I opened the day with another good practice session. Following that, Bill Entriken and I walked through the Village to the Church of St. Luke in the Fields ( http://stlukeinthefields.org/web/ ). We entered through the Parish House where the offices were located and out the back door through a lovely garden into the Sanctuary. I was immediately struck by a sense of deja vu when I saw the garden. I asked the question and Bill said, "Yes. It was." The garden was the location where the garden scenes from the Meryl Streep/Philip Seymour Hoffman movie, "Doubt" was shot. This was a lovely, reconstructed church which has suffered a devastating fire several years ago. Bill Entriken was the Organist-Choirmaster at the time. We walked through the Village to find lunch. On our way we passed a row of brownstones which looked familiar to me. Bill told me that it was that exterior that was used for the view of the Huxtable family home on the Cosby Show. I always thought that was in Brooklyn.
Following lunch, I dashed to the subway and the uptown ride to the church of St. Vincent Ferrer where I had an appointment to meet the Organist-Choirmaster and see the organ. I wrote about this church on Wednesday when I went to the opera program at this same church. It's even more stunningly beautiful during the daylight when the stained glass windows illuminated by the sun transmit their true colors. ( http://www.csvf.org/ ). The organist demonstrated the fine instrument for me and then left me to my own devices to explore the resources of the large instrument, divided between the chancel and the rear gallery. It was a pleasant way to spend the time. The day was so beautiful that I decided to walk back downtown to my apartment. I happened upon Bloomingdales on the way and couldn't resist stopping in to browse a bit. A fun time. I was invited for dinner by two church members who are friends of Entrikens. This great couple entertained me and the Entrikens and Senior Pastor at Il Cantinori ( http://www.ilcantinori.com/about.htm ) a Village landmark restaurant for nearly 30 years. A long, great day!
October 7
OK. If you think I'm 
going write that Thursday was another New Jersey day, you're only paritally right. This Thursday turned out to be a Pennsylvania day. Bucks County and Doylestown specifically was our destination. After a plesant drive through tne New Jersey and Pennsylvania countryside we arrived at Waterwheel Restaurant ( http://www.thewaterwheelrestaurant.com/ ) in Doylestown. This 18th century restaurant sits on a property that was deeded to its orignial owner by William Penn in 1683. For those of you who are counting, that's two years before the birth of J. S. Bach. Great lunch!
We went from the restaurant to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. Yes. It is named for the famed American novelist who was a Doylestown native, and who along with his wife gave a sizeable donation to establish the museum. ( http://www.michenermuseum.org/ ). This lovely, small museum strikes me as being an incredible artistic resource in this smallish Pennsylvania community (under 10,000 people in the 2000 census). 
I was especially struck by a style of painting on display called Pennsylvania Impressionism, paintings done in the style of the French impressionists using Pennsylvania landscapes as their subjects. It was a most pleasant discovery for me.
From the museum, we went to Fonthill, ( http://www.mercermuseum.org/ ) the early 20th century home of Henry Chapman Mercer, (http://www.tiles.org/pages/mptw/mercer.htm) a Doylestown native who was best known for his work with ceramic tiles. 
What makes Fonthill unique is that it was constructed entirely of poured concrete. As you climbed into the upper floors of the home, it seemed as I was climbing UP into a basement, a very counter-intuitive feeling. We ended the day with a drive through the scenic Delaware River valley on our way back to Union.
October 6
Wednesday was a busy day. I began with my usual practice routine and then I began really moving! From First Presbyterian at West 12th Street and 5th Avenue, I walked to the subway and took the long ride and walk to The Cloisters http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters, 
the medieval wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The building itself is a wonder, containing elements of five different medieval buildings which have been transported and reconstructed on a site overlooking the Hudson River at the northern tip of Manhattan. The collection is always a joy to visit.
My next destination was the main building of the Met on 5th Avenue, so I took the subway back downtown and then walked to Central Park West and across the park to the Museum. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for a walk. It was my first time to cross the park on foot, and on a day like Wednesday, I would welcome the chance to repeat the walk.
The purpose of my repeat visit to the museum was to hear a recital on the 1830 Thomas Appleton organ* that is a part of the museum's collection of musical instruments. The instrument sits in a the second level gallery of a large, barrel-vaulted hall which house the armor collection. The sound was delightful, a beautiful example of early American organ building. 
The organist, the associate music director of St.Bart's, played a program designed to demonstrate the organ in a very musical way.
The day wasn't over. I dashed to the apartment for a quick bite, and took off again for the church of St.Vincent Ferrer, (http://www.csvf.org/ ) thankfully not far from my apartment. This church, perhaps the most beautiful that I have seen in the city, was to be the site of an opera concert sponsored by the Richard Tucker Foundation (http://www.richardtucker.org/ )and the church as a benefit to support the restoration of the church's magnificent stained glass windows. I arrived at the church about 40 minutes before this FREE concert to find a line of eager concert-goers stretching around the block. I joined the line and was not disappointed by my decision to stay. The concert featured the bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, 
one of the world's leading singers, 6 young singers with international careers, and the choir of the church. It was great singing from beginning to end, each piece seeming to raise the level of enjoyment to a new high. It was truly a remarkable evening.
*http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/musical_instruments/pipe_
organ_thomas_appleton//objectview.aspx?OID=180015451&collID=18&dd1=18
October 5
As I thought about 
what I would write to describe October 5, the perennial question "do we eat to live or live to eat" comes to mind. You'll see why. I began the day practicing and looking at choral music. I'm making good progress in both. I left First Pres in search of Houston Street and a deli which had come highly recommended, Russ and Daughters. (http://www.russanddaughters.com/). What a find, but to my disapointment, there was no place to eat in, so what was a person to do but look down the street and see Katz's Deli ( http://www.katzdeli.com/ ). If you've followed my notebook, you know that I made an early visit to Katz's during this trip, but I'm good to go back. The food was even better on the second time around. By the way, yes. I did stop at Russ and Daughters on my way back to the subway and pick up a few things to take back to the apartment.
I walked down the street to St. Thomas for Evensong, as always a beautifully sung and reverent service. I walked from St. Thomas around the corner to La Bonne Soup (http://www.labonnesoupe.com/ ) for a bowl of their signature French onion soup. You answer the question.