An unusual tour of organists takes place August 13-18, when six young Japanese women, “The Yokohama Lucys”, bring their talents to bear on five notable organs in New England. 

During their internships at the Minato Mirai Concert Hall in Yokohama, these women have trained with resident organist, Hatsumi Miura, on a pipe organ affectionately nicknamed “Lucy.”  Lucy is the three-manual, 62-stop instrument built in 1998 (Opus 110) by C. B. Fisk, Inc., the renowned organbuilding firm in Gloucester.  Miura, who organized the tour for her interns, has concertized in numerous cities in America as well as in Europe and Japan, and is a professor of organ at Ferris University in Yokohama. She was recently celebrated for her significant cultural contributions to the city of Yokohama.

On Monday, August 13, at 7:30 PM, three of these distinguished performers will present a concert on the newly completed Fisk organ, Opus 137 at Christ Church Andover, 25 Central Street, in Andover. The concert features repertoire from many eras, including new works from Japanese composers. Barbara Bruns, Music Director and organist at Christ Church Andover was born and raised in Japan and is delighted to welcome her Japanese colleagues to play this recital even before her official inaugural recital of dedication on September 29 at 7:00 pm.

On Tuesday, August 14, at 8:00 PM, the other three performers will take their turn on the organ bench at the historic Old West United Methodist Church, 131 Cambridge Street in Boston. A part of the Old West Summer Series, the concert features familiar repertoire. Old West’s organ, Opus 55 of the Fisk firm, was built in 1970 and is one of the premiere pipe organs in the country. It served for many years as the concert organ for the New England Conservatory. Miura, who was educated at NEC, has played recitals on Opus 55 on several occasions since her days at NEC.

The tour continues on Friday, August 17 at 8:00 PM when Yuka Saruwatari and Reiko Okamoto  play the Jeremy Adams Organ at the Annisquam Village Church, 820 Washington Street, in Gloucester. The Adams two-manual, 13-stop instrument was built in Danvers in 1986. The program features works from many traditions, culminating in an exciting duo of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.  Kathleen Adams, Music Director, at the AVC, notes that Miura played one of her graduate recitals on the Annisquam organ when she was studying under the legendary Yuko Hayashi at the New England Conservatory.  Hayashi, now retired from NEC, will be attending some of these concerts, underscoring the lineage which has ensued from her pedagogy.

On Saturday, August 18, starting at 7:30 PM, two recitals back to back on Fisk organs next door to each other will feature another two duos of “Lucys.”  Kumi Shibusawa and Momoko Koshimizu, will play on C.B. Fisk’s Opus 97 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 48 Middle Street, in Gloucester.  Included on their program is a four-hand/four-feet arrangement of movements from Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik.”  The two-manual, 18-stop organ at St. John’s was installed in 1988.  Mark Nelson, Music Director, recently retired from organbuilding at Fisk after more than 30 years with the firm. Nelson has recently formed the Cape Ann Choir School at St. John’s, open to children 6 years old and up.

The music of the evening continues next door at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 Church Street, in Gloucester following light refreshments served on the lawn in front of the church as the audience traverses from one church to the other.  At 8:30 PM Mineko Kojima and Naoko Asao play the concluding recital on the 1962 Fisk rebuild of an 1893 Hutchings organ.  Their program will feature a variety of organ music including that of contemporary Japanese composers.

All the concerts are free (with free-will donations) and open to the public. For information call 978.283.1909.

Grab Your Dancing Shoes! EJ Knows I will!

Sista Felicia and The Mrs were up into the wee hours of the morning producing more of their killer mason jar drink thingies.  Yesterday they sold out before 2PM but today they are stocked up.  Get yours with Sista Felicia’s Iced Tea in front of Sugar Mag’s today.

Send in your photos from The Bazaar and we will post them as I receive them.

send them to goodmorninggloucester@yahoo.com

The mason jar drinking glasses are obviously re-usable.  Try out Sista Felicia’s Iced Tea recipe we posted last year to fill yours-

Sista Felicia Iced Tea (with directions this time)

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Joey C

Click here for Day 1-

Community 2012 Sidewalk Bazaar Live Blog- Send in Your Pics and I’ll Post Em Here

Get your GMG Stickas, Your This is Gloucester DVDs, your GMG T Shirt, Donna Ardizzoni Photography, Joey C Gloucester at Dawn Note Card With envelopes bedazzled by Amandacakes and more.  Lot’s of fun at the GMG Tent, Believe That!

Fred Bodin Submits-

Shannon Lane of Manchester and her new friend “Minion.” She met him at Bananas, and just had to have him over for dinner.

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Good Egg report From Grace Giambanco Numerosi

This young man is a true good egg! He found an envelope of money at the Sidewalk Bazaar and turned it over to me and we were able to track down the owner -10 year old little girl who was too shy to have her picture taken! Way to go Chris Frontiero- from Gloucester Clean Team

 

1:01PM The Girls report They are running low on Mason Jar Drinkware- Get down to The GMG Booth Now!!!

 

1:08PM Update- Only 4 Mason Jars filled with iced tea left.  30 unfilled.  Get there

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Rockport National Bank Representing at the Gloucester Sidewalk Bazaar!

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Hi Joey,

B got his face painted at the GHS Class of 2013 booth during the Sidewalk Bazaar today.  Great fun for a good cause!

 

Enjoy!
~Bill O’Connor
North Shore Kid

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Grace Giambanco Numerosi writes-

The Sturdy Oaks Band- if you miss them today, they’ll be back tomorrow 3:30-5:00pm – great fun family music!

Skeptics in The Pub August

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Oasis Rockport is helping the community with a photo day for charity, which will benefit those less fortunate in Cape Ann with the upcoming holiday season, a season that can be a source of extreme distress when a family is suffering a hardship. Photo Day For Charity will be held August 25^th (rain date August 26^th ) from 8am through 7pm. Photo sessions will be $20 each, which includes an online gallery for each individual, couple, family or pet that is photographed. Every penny of that $20 goes towards assisting families experiencing hardships in the coming holiday season. Interested in scheduling your photo session on Oasis Rockport’s Photo Day? Contact acook@oasisrockport.com or call 978-290-3184. . With our warm-hearted helpful community, I bet these shoots will fill up very fast!

www.oasisrockport.com/portraitsforhunger

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The girls are busy cranking out a bunch for tomorrow and SSaturday so be sure to get down there to get yours.

If you got one today chances are you are in the slide show- click the pic below or here for the slide show