While the first year of my next chapter as a freelance musician was marked by international travel, the second year (the 2018-2019 season) was marked by performing, teaching, consulting, and interim church positions.

Pipe Organ Encounter

In July 2018, the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists hosted the west coast offering of Pipe Organ Encounter, a week-long workshop for teenagers with a budding interest in playing the pipe organ. I was privileged to join several distinguished colleagues as faculty for the week, which included daily lessons with two very talented and motivated students.

Each day also included workshops and field trips, and each evening there was a concert given by faculty members. I was honored to open the week with a concert at St. Athanasius Episcopal Church at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, and the week culminated with an inspiring Saturday morning concert given by all twenty students.

Interim Church Positions

Two significant opportunities to serve in an interim capacity arose in the 2018-2019 season.

I began my work as Interim Organist at Westwood Methodist Church the first Sunday of August 2018, as my colleague, Jaebon Hwang, left to begin a new position in San Diego. I continued through the beginning of October, when I needed to focus on upcoming solo recitals.

There were many twists and turns in the organist search process at Westwood, so I was called back for services and a concert in December, March and April. It was a pleasure to be part of this dynamic progressive ministry, grounded in inspiring worship.

In early November, I received word of the sudden death of John Tveit, organist-choirmaster at St. Cross Episcopal Church, Hermosa Beach, for 20 years. At that point in the season, I really wasn’t looking for additional work, but in conversations with the rector of St. Cross, I felt called to serve this wonderful parish in that challenging time of music ministry transition.

So on Sunday morning, November 25, I met the choir for the first time (it was Thanksgiving weekend, so no Thursday rehearsal), and we began an almost 4-month journey together. I had no idea what a richly rewarding period of growth that would become for the choir, the parish and me.

Our first rehearsal was the Thursday evening before the beginning of the Advent/Christmas season, so we immediately had much work to do, in the midst of immense loss and grief. From day one, the choir was incredibly welcoming, supportive, responsive and grateful. We made our way, forging a new relationship, leading meaningful Advent services which culminated in a magnificent Christmas Eve.

“We did it!” I would exclaim… and as we began rehearsals and services in January, it became increasingly clear to me that an important aspect of my leadership as interim would be to challenge this excellent choir to more fully embrace the power of their life-giving ministry. This involved some significant changes in communal assumptions and behaviors.

Equally important was their need and my desire to be present and attentive to their ongoing grief process, even in the midst of the joy of our work together in the transition.

“To see the choir respond to someone building them up, to watch them grow has been a delight. Thank you for your pastoral and stabilizing presence for the rector, choir, clergy and congregation. You have truly been a blessing in our lives.” — Rector Rachel Nyback, St. Cross Episcopal Church, Hermosa Beach
More appreciations

And at the same time, the organist-choirmaster search process ensued with two finalists, both of whom led a Thursday rehearsal and a Sunday morning. While keeping careful boundaries in terms of the decision-making process, I was pleased to advise the rector on the requirements for the auditions.

And I was delighted that my long-time student, Sean O’Neal, was chosen to lead St. Cross into their new chapter of music ministry. Giving proper notice to the church Sean had served for many years gave me five additional weeks to work with the St. Cross Choir.

We added new repertoire, in a wide variety of styles, I did some drumming in services, and the choir grew in skill, understanding and dedication. I cherish my time at St. Cross, and it has become a model of other interim work which I know will come my way.

Fall/Winter Concerts

In October 2018, I was thrilled to return to Herrick Chapel at Occidental College, to perform an organ concert. I was College Organist at Occidental for 24 years, where I performed over 50 concerts on the magnificent Schlicker Organ in Herrick Chapel. A large, enthusiastic audience greeted me, and it felt like coming home.

The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel brought me to perform as part of their concert series in November. In addition to major organ works, it was a delight to move to the piano for a portion of the program to perform once again with brilliant cellist and friend, Kyle Champion.

Mid-December, I returned to Westwood Methodist to perform their Christmas Concert with choir and brass.

Cello/Piano, a Tribute Concert, and Three On a Bench

The spring and early summer brought several unique performance opportunities, beginning with a full concert with Kyle Champion at Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Claremont in May. For this event, we learned an exciting new work by esteemed composer and friend, Bruce Babcock.

Composer James Hopkins

The American Guild of Organists Los Angeles Chapter and First United Methodist Church of Pasadena co-sponsored a tribute to another friend, the distinguished composer and music professor emeritus of USC, James Hopkins. Several colleagues prepared this tribute concert to Dr. Hopkins, performing many of his works for solo organ, along with three choral works and a piece for organ and oboe.

I was pleased to perform Jim’s Deux Danses, a dramatic and exciting piece he composed for me to premiere at an AGO convention in 1983. I also performed his colorful Notas de España. Follow the links to listen to recordings from the performance. You can download the tracks and add them to your listening library.

James Walker, Cherry Rhodes, Weicheng Zhao

One of the most uniquely wonderful musical experiences of my life was performing with Cherry Rhodes and Weicheng Zhao — all on the same bench — for the Western Region Convention of the American Guild of Organists on July 1, 2019.

Dr. Zhao transcribed Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite for this six hands, six feet, one bench event. It was a joyful challenge to prepare all those notes, first on our own, then with two on a bench, then three on a bench! Also performed was the west coast premiere of Weicheng’s transcription of The Love for Three Oranges, Symphonic Suite, by Prokofiev — also for three performers on one bench.

The rest of the program included works for duet by Rayner Brown, Joseph Jongen, Claude Debussy and Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach.

What an honor to perform with my brilliant master teacher, Cherry Rhodes, and my former Associate — now my successor as Director of Music at All Saints, Pasadena — and cherished colleague, Weicheng Zhao.

It was an unforgettable blast!

Time for Travel

The 2018-2019 season was so very rewarding, with these wide-ranging musical experiences, along with continued teaching, coaching and consulting.

And on July 6, 2019, it was time to hit the road, with four weeks of magnificent travel to Portugal and Spain. It was good to take a break from practice and to experience these rich cultural experiences abroad.

Next Chapter Year Three Emerges

Forward into the 2019–2020 season, with renewed vigor!

I am particularly excited to be giving a solo concert on the prestigious Jacaranda Music Concert Series on Sunday, December 15 at 2:00 PM and then collaborating with Kyle Champion on the new concert series at St. Cross, Hermosa Beach, on Saturday, February 1 at 5:00 PM.

Other performance opportunities are in the pipeline, so stay tuned!

Related Articles

What’s Happening in My Next Chapter
Year One 2017–2018