Concert Programs for Bach's Lunch II and PipeScreams!

For this, my 50th post, I decided to share a couple of concert programs with you. Both took place yesterday (Tuesday, October 30). The first is the second in a series of noontime organ recitals at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. The second is a Halloween program and fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity, in which I played a piece.

Bach's Lunch
Thomas A.J. Bloom, organ
Watts Street Baptist Church, Durham, NC

Program: An Abendmusik for the Eve of Reformation Day: Organ Music of Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707)

Voluntary: Ciacona in e minor, BuxWV 160
Psalm 46: Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, BuxWV 184
The Canticles:

• Magnificat Primi Toni, BuxWV 203
• Nunc Dimittis: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BuxWV 76
• Contrapunctus [I]
  
• Evolutio [I]
  
• Contrapunctus [II]
  
• Evolutio [II]

The Hymn: Nun lob, mein Seel', den Herren, BuxWV 212
Voluntary: Praeludium in d minor, BuxWV 140

-----

PipeScreams! 2007
University United Methodist Church, Chapel Hill, NC

Vierne:

• Allegro Maestoso from Symphony III ("Ghost", actually the MIDI player on the Moeller organ)
• Scherzo from Symphony II (Tim Baker. He was the emcee of the entire event.)

Boëllmann: Toccata from Suite Gothique (Lyn Francisco. I played the Student, and wore my academic robes, minus Ph.D. hood.)

Albright: Nocturn (Tom Bloom. What a trooper, after having played that brilliant Buxtehude program at noon, he came back 7 hours later to perform in this program!)

P. D. Q. Bach: Toot Suite (Barbara Leder and Sandy Hobgood. She was dressed as a she-devil. He was dressed as a green-faced witch.)

• I - Preloud
• II - O.K. Chorale
• III - Fuga Vulgaris

Tournemire: Improvisation on Te Deum (Mila Karamushka. She played the part of the Firefly Fairy, but really looked more like a large orange butterfly up there.)

Lloyd Webber: All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera (Florence Peacock, soprano and Lewis Moore, baritone, accompanied by Tim Baker, organ, dressed as the Phantom. You can guess how Florence and Lewis were dressed.)

J. S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in d minor (Tim Baker, de-Phantomed.)

Tim billed this as a "serious" piece; however, there were a series of "monsters", including a witch threatening to cast a spell on the organist before being chased away by a bucket of water; a big hairy gorilla, who threatened to slap the organist before being lured away by a bunch of bananas; a Duke Basketball Fan (Cameron Crazy?), who was chased away by Carolina Tar Heel pom-poms (you would have to know the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry to get that one); and Frankenstein, who threatened to strangle the organist but was lured away by his bride, who scolded Franky and led him away.

Throughout the program, there was funny commentary by a couple of women who played the part of bossy and nosy churchwomen, who at first were insulted that they weren't even consulted about this apparently serious organ program, but then insult turned to outrage as they threaten to report this to the Senior Pastor. In a stroke of comedic timing, just as they finished that line, guess who walks into the sanctuary? The Senior Pastor!

It was a fun program, and the audience was very generous, giving their shares of standing ovations to those of us performing either on the bench, singing, or acting.

The coolest thing - after the program, I was approached by a young mother and her daughter. The mother asked me if I was at the NC State Fair, doing the Chemistry Magic Shows. I said yes, I gave a couple of shows at the Fair. She said she thought she recognized me, and said her daughter was one of my assistants. I recognized her daughter as the one I had stuff an inflated balloon in a beaker filled with liquid nitrogen. Very cool indeed!

Me? Sport Prognosticator?

For all the years I've been following baseball and football/soccer, I had never dared to make predictions over who I think will win the major matches, especially since I generally get them wrong. (Don't even remind me of the 2004 World Cup ... I was travelling in Italy with friends when that was going on.)

Here's one time when I actually got it right. Quoting from what I wrote on Ryan L.'s Facebook wall on October 7:

Dare I say it? Sorry, Cubbies, but I'm glad AZ won. I'm hoping the Rockies will finish off the Phillies, and that the Rockies will win the NL pennant (small consolation since they beat my Padres), so that the World Series would be Boston vs. Colorado. Who would I want to win it all? Why, the Red Sox, of course! :)

Admittedly, the only reason why I cheered on the Rockies is because they beat my Padres in that single-game elimination to decide the Wild-Card spot for the National League. Naturally, I'd be cheering on the Red Sox in the American League. After living for 7+ years in the New England area, how can you not cheer on the Red Sox? I celebrated with the rest of the Red Sox Nation when they finally threw off the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series in 86 years back in 2004.

I was happy when the Rockies swept the Phillies (sorry, Nick) and the Diamondbacks, and happy when the Red Sox swept the Angels and managed to get past the Indians, yielding the matchup I had hoped for as described on Ryan's wall. Little did I know that my prognostication would come true tonight. I had been away all day, and didn't have a chance to catch the game, so I found out from Ryan's page, when he changed his status to: Sox are World Series Champs '07 :)

And the Red Sox Nation is cheering tonight. Congratulations, 2007 Boston Red Sox!

Borromeo String Quartet - Concert Program

I was at an amazing concert today, given by the Borromeo String Quartet. The BSQ consists of Durham native Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Kristopher Tong, violin; Mai Motobuchi, viola; and Yeesun Kim, cello. This is, I believe, their third in a series of concerts at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, in which they intended to perform the entire cycle of Beethoven String Quartets.

Today, they presented String Quartets by Haydn, Shostakovich, and Beethoven. We had a packed house, and a great time was had by all.

Here is their program.

Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, N0. 5

• Allegretto; Allegro
• Largo ma non troppo, cantabile e mesto
• Menuet: Allegro ma non troppo
• Finale: Presto

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 117
Moderato con moto

• Adagio
• Allegretto
• Adagio
• Allegro

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130
Adagio ma non troppo; Allegro

• Presto
• Poco scherzoso, Andante con moto ma non troppo
• Alla Danza tedesa: Allegro assai
• Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
• Finale: Allegro

PipeScreams!

More fire news

KPBS is such a godsend!!! I've been listening to their live feed for the past 4 hours or thereabouts, and they're a wonderful source of news going on in San Diego.

I also heard from my sister-in-law. She shared some very interesting data with me:

• The burned areas of San Diego are now the equivalent to the area of the entire island of Oahu.
• Half a million people have been displaced. There are three million people in San Diego.
• This is FEMA's second-largest disaster; Katrina was the largest.

She reports that the Rancho San Diego area, where she used to live, has been evacuated. She graduated from Valhalla High School in El Cajon. The evacuation orders for Eastern Chula Vista have been lifted. We have friends who live in those areas of Chula Vista, and thankfully, there have been no reports of houses lost in the Eastlake area. She also reports that most of the county is on fire. (I'm not sure about that, but having a look at the very useful maps on KFMB Channel 8's website has been most illuminating.)

Hopefully the winds will shift soon. As long as the Santa Ana winds are still blowing from East to West, the fire problems will still persist and not be alleviated.

Prayers to all affected by the fires.

Catholic Carnivals 141 and 142

Catholic Carnivals 141 and 142 are up and running. I haven't noticed them much lately because of other things that have come up lately, but I am looking forward to hosting one of these in a couple of weeks.

Here are the links:

Catholic Carnival 141, hosted by 50 Days After
Catholic Carnival 142, hosted by Play the Dad? No, be the Dad! (Matthew's 100th blog post, by the way).

To friends and family in San Diego

My goodness - I'm just having a look at photos and videos from Channels 6, 8, 10, and 39's websites. Those wildfires are more extensive than I thought - if they're calling for evacuations as far west as Torrey Pines and Del Mar ... !!! ...

And for those of you in Chula Vista, I hope things are okay for you down there. I know Chula Vista's had a huge building boom since I left (I don't even recognize it any more), and I hope those of you who have had homes built in the eastern parts of Chula Vista will come through this.

My thoughts and prayers go out to you.

Update:

I just heard from my Middle School Choir Teacher. She works at Rancho del Rey Middle School, and informed me that area, as well as parts of Bonita, have been evacuated to a shelter at Chula Vista High School (which is farther west than the areas listed above). I know my friend Reynila is a counsellor at Bonita Vista High, and my High School History Teacher, Mr. Tony Maio, lives in Bonita. A quick check revealed that all the schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District are closed today, due to air quality.

Another friend lives in Lemon Grove, and noticed that Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) was totally ablaze. She is ready to evacuate at any time - when the order comes, she will leave.

This sounds very serious ... please send your thoughts and prayers to all those in Southern California who are affected by the wildfires.

YouTube for Catholics

Finally, a Catholic Video Sharing Site. This comes courtesy of Fr. Stephen Cuyos, a Filipino Missionary of the Sacred Heart. This website, lovetobecatholic.com, was apparently launched sometime this month, and its goal is to “provide a safe and entertaining place for people to access Catholic content on demand, 24/7.”

It's a pretty neat idea, kind of a YouTube for Catholics. According to Fr. Stephen, "it is a cool ministry tool as well as a fresh and innovative way to communicate the Word of God in today’s world."

More from Fr. Stephen:

Lovetobecatholic.com invites everyone to upload and share videos, build communities, join existing groups and connect with friends, but the site reserves the right to “monitor content to assure that videos reflect true Catholic teaching.” I hope that the site will not only gather Catholics but also become a meeting place and a connecting point where Catholics and non-Catholics learn from each other and enrich each other.

I definitely agree with Fr. Stephen's sentiments. Naturally, I paid attention to the Music section. It's mostly Catholic Rock videos. Not my cup of tea, but interesting, nonetheless.

Bach's Lunch is Back

The Bach's Lunch recitals at The Chapel of the Cross is back with their new Fall 2007 season.

First up is Dr. Van Quinn, Organist/Choirmaster at Chapel of the Cross. His program, which will be performed on Tuesday, October 23 at 12:15 pm, will feature music by Dietrich Buxtehude and Jean Langlais, in honour of the 300th anniversary of Buxtehude's death, and the 100th anniversary of Langlais' birth. It looks like it will be a great program; I'm sorry that I won't be able to go because I have a lunch-time faculty meeting to attend.

Here is his program, as he will perform it Tuesday afternoon.

Buxtehude:

• Praeludium in g minor
• Passacaglia in d minor

Langlais:

• Suite Brève: Dialogue sur les Mixtures
• Trois Poèmes Évangélique: La Nativité
• Trois paraphrases gregoriennes: Hymne d'Actions de Grâce: Te Deum

Fun at the Fair

Well, it's done. Not the fair; my involvement with it. I did my last volunteering today by working the morning and afternoon shifts at the Our Land, Our Legacy exhibit at the North Carolina State Fair. I did two of the Chemistry Demonstration shows. The theme was States of Matter, so I demonstrated the solid, the liquid, the gas, and the plasma. The kids really liked some of the dry ice tricks, especially the dry ice shower trick. My colleague, Ken Lyle of Duke University, built a contraption where you feed dry ice into a 2 litre container filled with water. A PVC pipe rises out of the bottle, and ends up at the top, bent into a U shape. When dry ice is placed in the bottle, the water vapour is forced up the tube and comes out the other end of the tube. If you place a special soap solution at the end of the tube (dishwashing soap, water, glycerol), you get carbon dioxide-filled soap bubbles. They fall to the floor, and they just sit there. If you wet your hands with soap, you might even be able to catch one of the soap bubbles.

The most exhausting part was the chromatography butterflies. The kids love to make the butterflies, but it's pretty taxing when you have 10 kids surrounding you, wanting you to help them finish their butterflies. There was also a Scavenger Hunt, specific to the Our Land, Our Legacy exhibit, and I had to help people answer the question. If they get the answer, they receive a sticker, and if they receive stickers from all 11 exhibitors, they get a really cool tie-dye t-shirt with this year's State Fair logo. It's a much nicer shirt than last year's.

So now I'm just relaxing and tucking in to some supper before choir practice in 1 hour. More fun with Langlais' Messe Solennelle, which we'll be presenting at a Solemn Eucharist on All Saints' Day, Thursday, November 1.

John Walker - Concert Program

Yesterday, as part of Duke Chapel's organ recital series, John Walker of the Peabody Institute performed on the Flentrop (Benjamin N. Duke Memorial) Organ. What a wonderful recital!!! Duke Chapel brings in some of the world's finest organists for their recital series; however, there are just a few who can figure out how to play the room very well. Walker is one of those who figured it out. I'm sorry I came in a little late, but I only missed the first piece.

Here is his program. His notes were great, as well. (Why can't more organists take the time to do that? I prefer concert organists who just play and not talk during the course of their concerts.)

• Prelude and Fugue in f-sharp minor, BuxWV 146 (Dietrich Buxtehude)
• Mein junges Leben hat ein End (Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck)
• Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541 (Johann Sebastian Bach)
• Prelude on the Chorale O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen (Franz Schmidt)
• Tanz-Toccata (Anton Heiller)
• Fantasy and Fugue in B-flat Major (Alexandre-Pierre-François Boëly)
• Concert Variations on Old Hundred (John Knowles Paine)
• Hommage à Messiaen (McNeil Robinson)
• Dieu parmi nous (from L Nativité du Seigneur) (Olivier Messiaen)

Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary ...

Thirty-nine years ago today, my parents were married in Manila, Philippines. That's them to the left, holding a photo of their grandchildren (my brother's 2 sons and 1 daughter).

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! May you have many more happy years together.

Catholic Carnival 140 is Up and Running

Yet another Catholic Carnival is up and running. Steven McEvoy at Book Reviews and More drew the hosting duties this week. You may check out his Canadian Thanksgiving right here.

Enjoy!

Wheeeee! It's Fair Time!!!!

It's that time of the year again, folks - the NC State Fair is back!

As usual, I'll be working the booth with the local chapter of the American Chemical Society. We'll be doing cool Chemistry tricks with dry ice and liquid nitrogen, demonstrate density differences using our old friends, Regular and Diet Coke, demonstrate the different states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, plasma. Yes, plasma ...), and just for the kids, demonstrate the concept of chromatography by having them make Chromatography Butterflies. Very cool stuff.

I'll be there Saturday 13th from 8.45 am - 1.15 pm, and again on Tuesday 16th from 8.45 am - 1.15 pm, and Wednesday 17th from 8.45 am - 5.15 pm. It should be loads of fun! If you're in the area, stop by; Fairgrounds are close to NC State's Vet School. I, for one, am also looking forward to the fair foods. I think I will pass on the deep-fried Snickers, but definitely, I will look forward to caramel apples, funnel cakes, turkey legs, and bloomin' onions! I know, they're all bad for me, but the Fair only comes but once a year.

7 October, Ordinary 27 / 19th Sunday After Pentecost

Two music lists for your reading enjoyment. The first is from the 7.45 am Mass at Immaculate Conception (RC) Church, and the second list from Chapel of the Cross (Episcopal), where I will be playing the 5.15 pm service.

October 7: Ordinary 27 (Sun. 7.45 am)

Gloria: Andrews
Alleluia: Mode VI; verses to Tone 6F
Sanctus, Mem. Accl., Amen, Agnus Dei: Community Mass (Proulx)


Pro: 606 How Firm a Foundation
Psalm: Ps 95 (Guimont)
Off: 757 This is the Day God Gives Me
Comm: Organ voluntary
Re: 568 Father, We Thank Thee


List #2. Major difference this time: the Parish Choir is singing this service. At least the anthem they're doing will be unaccompanied. DM wants me to provide pitches and sing alto, which I'm more than happy to do.

October 7: Pentecost 19

Prelude: Choral Dorien (Jehan Alain)
Pro: Glorious things of thee are spoken (AUSTRIA)
Gloria: Powell (weird triplet rhythms, but the congregation knows this well.)
Seq: O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee (NYLAND)
Off: Laudate Nomen Domini (Christopher Tye, and yes, they're singing this in Latin)
Sanctus: Community Mass (Proulx)
Comm: O Master, let me walk with Thee (MARYTON)
Re: Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim (PADERBORN)
Postlude: Triumphal March (G. F. Handel)

Catholic Carnival 139: Celebration of Life

The latest Catholic Carnival is up and running at just another day of catholic pondering.

Check it out. Sarah does a great job of putting her personal touch on each of the links.

If you're wondering what a Catholic Carnival is, click here, and read all about it. I'll be hosting one of these myself in early November. Still mulling over a theme, although the timing might inspire me to host an All Saints-themed Carnival.

Enjoy!

Catholic and Blogging Meme

I borrowed the tag from The Christus Vincit Man, Brian Michael Page.

So okay, I'll bite.

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo, although I did have the opportunity to have gone to a TLM. Check out my review of that here.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
If I were to go (wish I could), I would have had to drive a little over 60 miles to get there.

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?
Er, ditto what Brian said: Roman Catholic.

4. Are you a comment junkie?
Only when warranted.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Sure.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?
Once, on Anderson Cooper's blog, but it didn't get published.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?
Hey, whatever works.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?
I agree with what Brian said: It depends on my mood.

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?
Yes. Charles Culbreth at Musica Dei Donum Optimi, David Myers (through his parents since I used to work with both of them at one point in time) at The Art of David Myers, and Dan Keller at randomthoughtsandfreeassociations.

10. What are you reading?
I was reading Brian's blog. Go figure - that's exactly how I got this meme!

TAG, YOU'RE IT! Anyone who reads this who wants to play!

Central North Carolina AGO Members' Recital Program

Last night, my friend Tom Bloom and I went off to Resurrection (LC/MS) Lutheran Church in Cary, NC. There, the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists held their Members' Recital. As they were celebrating the tercentenary anniversary of Dietrich Buxtehude's death, and the centenary anniversary of Jean Langlais' birth, the recital featured works by Buxtehude and Langlais.

The organ was a Schantz, built in 1991.

The program follows:

Thomas Fielding, DM, Dean of CNCAGO

• Langlais: Incantation pour un Jour Saint
• Buxtehude: Ciacona in e minor, BuxWV160

Lee Harris, CAGO

• Langlais: Canzona from Suite Folklorique
  
• Langlais: Prélude from Suite Médiévale

Mark Gourley, Immediate Past Dean of CNCAGO

• Buxtehude: Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei, BuxWV190
• Buxtehude: Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist, BuxWV208
• Langlais: Prélude au Kyrie from Hommage à Frescobaldi

John Hermann, MM/SPC, Subdean of CNCAGO

• Buxtehude: Prelude and Fugue in g minor, BuxWV149
• Langlais: Suite Française
• Langlais: Trois Paraphrases Gregoriennes: III. Te Deum
  

Noel Hamm

• Buxtehude: Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BuxWV211
• Langlais: Pasticcio

Terrence Poe

• Buxtehude: Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne, BuxWV137
• Buxtehude: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BuxWV223

Eddie Abernathy

• Buxtehude: Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, BuxWV184
• Buxtehude: Magnificat Primi Toni, BuxWV203

Good bye, Old Friend

As of today, and most likely, as I'm writing this blog entry, UNC Chapel Hill's Hill Hall is losing an old friend. The 4-manual, 59-rank Reuter organ (Op. 367, ca. 1929) is being dismantled, most of the pipes being taken by Reuter, and the console removed. The Hill Hall Auditorium is slated to undergo renovation, and apparently, from what I heard, the Reuter had no place in the new plans. It seems sad ... but then again, I can understand why that decision was made. It's not a teaching instrument. It's very much a symphonic instrument. Several of us had the opportunity to play the organ last night. This was kind of a swan song of sorts for Op. 367. It's obvious the organ had not been well cared for or maintained for a very long time. But it was still neat to play this piece of history. I was taken on an organ crawl, and saw the pipes, the bellows, etc. There's some neat stuff on this organ - the chimes, the harp, among other things. There looked to be the name of every instrument you might be able to find in an orchestra on the stop knobs, and it was pretty neat to see the pipes to go along with them. Tuba mirabilis, for example. Yes, it was very tuba. The only thing I didn't see was the Echo chamber - it was built toward the back of the auditorium, in the ceiling.

Frankly speaking, I was quite surprised to learn the organ was just going to be taken away and essentially dismantled and disposed. I wondered, why couldn't they have thought of the Organ Clearing House - surely, they would have been happy to have taken the Reuter off of the Music Department's hands?

I don't know the story of the decision behind this organ's demise ... there was quite a bit of emotion flowing in that room last night, especially as a friend of mine played a few "farewell" type of hymns and songs ... The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended (ST. CLEMENT), Day Is Done (AR HYD Y NOS), Auld Lang Syne ... by the time he got to Auld Lang Syne, there were some tears flowing in the room.

This seems to me to signal the end of an era, as far as the Organ Music program at UNC is concerned. I don't have any feelings one way or the other toward Op. 367 as I never really got to know it well. I would hope that whatever organ The Powers That Be decide to install in the new Hill Hall Auditorium will be able to serve the university for teaching, as well as performance, for years and years to come.

UPDATE, 9/29/2007

Well, this is interesting. After having returned from the Central NC AGO Chapter's Members' Recital and meeting, I went to UUMC for a bit of practicing (I do not want to make a fool of myself come October 30!!!!!!!!) when I noticed, parked in front of Hill Hall is a huge lorrie. What's on the side of the lorrie? Reuter's logo and other assorted info. So it's official. I'm sure that lorrie is holding whatever pipes it was the company wanted to take back.

So it's true: Op. 367 is no more.

I chatted with a couple of people who know a little more about the history of the Reuter. It sustained heavy damage, thanks to leakage problems and other related building problems. (Hill Hall needs some major help, and at least it will get it once its renovation gets underway.) Op. 367 was designed specifically for Hill Hall, and both were built around the same time (1929'ish or so). It's a shame that it fell into disrepair and general neglect. Unfortunately, even if time were to have been spent to get the instrument back in a playable condition, it would have been cost prohibitive to have done so, given the extensive damage the instrument suffered.

So with a little more background, I can understand why there was a push to get rid of the Reuter. The people with whom I chatted were unaware that today was the day of Reuter Removal. One of them remarked, "It's about time they got rid of it." It's sad. I'm sure if the organ did not suffer the damage that it did, and even if it had been maintained regularly and religiously, then it probably would have still been in a good, playable condition today. With a few modifications, it might have even been a good teaching instrument. But alas, general neglect and extensive damage has rendered the 78 year old Reuter unplayable.

Op. 367, it was a pleasure to make your brief acquaintance. May the memories of all the music you've made in the past be pleasant and sweet. Good night ...

Moeser Steps Down in June

What has been churning in the rumour mill was made official yesterday afternoon: UNC Chapel Hill's Chancellor James Moeser will be leaving office, effective June 30, 2008, which marks the end of the current Fiscal Year.

Frankly speaking, it's no surprise. I still remember at one of the Postdoctoral events that took place in the Carolina Inn, as we were standing next to photos of current and former chancellors of UNC, a couple of my fellow postdocs were speculating that Moeser was going to be leaving his position soon. My thought, which I didn't share with them - if he leaves at all, it will probably be in 2008. I did not elaborate why, however. (And I won't elaborate publicly now.)

Last night, I was at a friend's place when he received a phone call from his father, stating that Chancellor Moeser was going to step down as Chancellor. As soon as he got off the phone, he turned to me and said, "Lyn, you were right - Dr. Moeser will be leaving office at the end of the school year."

We knew that the Moesers purchased a home off of Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, which added fuel to the speculation, but gave a strong indication that they may stay in the area. It certainly gave some hope to the organ students in the area, as James' wife Susan is a Professor of Organ in the Music Department.

After I left my friend's place, I checked my email, and sure enough, there was, waiting in my mbox, the message that was sent to UNC Faculty, Staff and Students, announcing his decision to step down as Chancellor.

I believe he leaves a good legacy in his 8 years or so as Chancellor. Carolina North, Carolina Covenant, among others ... he's also had his share of controversy as well. I still remember when he assigned as reading for the incoming Freshman Class a book about the Qur'an. There were protests ... lawsuits ... friends at Chapel of the Cross (where the Moesers are members) tell me that a couple of angry people were accusing James of being an atheist. James was telling them that he is a member at Chapel of the Cross, and that he serves as a Lector there, and is asked from time to time to lead discussions during the Adult Education hour in between the 9.00 am and 11.15 am services ... and yet, these people, who did not seem to listen to a single word James was saying, continued on with their harangues. I really admired James more after hearing about that.

I have my "I met the Chancellor" story, which my friends think is awfully cute. James is also a former concert organist as well. One Sunday afternoon, I was practicing on the Kleuker at Chapel of the Cross. Susan peeked her head in, hoping to get practice time on the instrument. I was ready to yield to her at that instant, but she said, rather kindly, "Oh, but you need to practice, too." So I asked her what time it was, and she told me 2.15 pm. I responded that I needed to get somewhere, and if she wouldn't mind kicking me off the organ at 3.00 pm, that would be great.

So she returned at 3.00 pm, this time, accompanied by her husband, James. I had just been assigned the Prelude from Langlais' Suite Médiévale, so you can imagine just how badly that sounded. Despite that, Susan was still able to identify what piece I was butchering at that point. I admitted to her that I had only been working on that piece for one week, and that it sounded like a bunch of pitches to me. Susan said, in response, "Spend some time with it, and I'm sure it will be sounding like music in no time." James, who was standing nearby, had this huge grin on his face, and he was nodding his head in agreement. Then, Susan said, "Oh, by the way Lyn, have you met my husband? This is Jim, Jim, this is Lyn, one of Tim Baker's organ students."

So we shook hands, and goofy, awkward, nerdy me, said, "Hi, Jim, it's great to meet you; I've heard so much about you." James, ever the gracious one, just smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." We had seen each other around, and he knows I sing with the Senior Choir, and also go to most of the organ-related events in the Triangle and Triad areas. So it was cool to have finally met him in person.