In Memory of Richard Gladwell

Public Radio lost a gentle voice last week when Richard Gladwell, host of With Heart and Voice, died after a mercifully brief struggle with brain cancer. He passed away peacefully at home, with his wife, his granddaughter and his hospice nurse at his side.

Richard was born in London in 1920, and came to the United States in 1955. He helped to found public radio station WXXI in Rochester NY, which signed on the air on December 23, 1974. With Heart and Voice began a few weeks later, and is heard on more than 100 public radio stations across the United States. The weekly program of sacred choral music is a mainstay for music loves around the world, with regular Internet listeners from as far away as South Africa and China.

Throughout his life, Richard loved the Anglican choral tradition, and as an adult, he felt called to share God's music with the world. He will be missed, and remembered with love and respect.

Praise God with heart and voice for the life of Richard Gladwell!

The fun part of exercise

A friend of mine posted this on his FaceBook page. Would anyone be interested in creating more of these?

Eastman Theater reopens in Rochester, NY

After four months of work, the Eastman Theatre, built in the 1920s by George Eastman, reopened this weekend as a 21st century concert hall. Audiences experienced a visual and acoustical transformation that dramatically enhances the concert experience.

While retaining its grand Italian Renaissance style, the newly renamed Kodak Hall features a new sound system as well as new patron amenities. The addition of orchestra- and mezzanine-level boxes and a new back wall on the orchestra level return more sound energy to support both the performers and the patrons seated in the orchestra level. Approximately 800 seats have been removed on the orchestra level and the walls carefully reshaped for concertgoers to feel more enveloped in the sound. The removal of back rows of seats not only creates a greater intimacy on the orchestra level, but also allows for the expansion of the hall’s inner lobby and the creation of five lounges, providing more comfortable gathering spaces. Kodak Hall also has new carpeting, a new heating and air conditioning system, and enhanced house and exit lighting.

The Rochester Philharmonic opened the hall on Thursday, October 8, and on Friday October 9, the Eastman Philharmonia consecrated the house with Beethoven’s famous overture and the 5th Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich. It was a stunning evening; the video shows the newly renovated theater shortly before the Philharmonia began the concert on Friday night.

The renovation of the performance hall is part of a $46.9 million project at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music that also includes a new building, currently under construction, for teaching, rehearsal, and performing spaces.

More from the Music Horizons Program at Eastman

My goddaughter Linnea is here in Rochester this month for the Music Horizons Program at the Eastman School of Music. Music Horizons is for high school students currently who are seriously considering a career in music, emphasizes chamber music and solo performance. Thursday night Linnea played in the Chamber Ensemble Concert; Friday afternoon was the Solo Recital. Here she is performing the Rondo Pastorale from Ralph Vaughan Williams's Oboe Concerto in A Minor.

My Amazing, Talented Goddaughter!

I just got home from a concert at the Eastman School of Music, given by high school students from across the country who are participating in the Music Horizons Program this summer. This evening was the Chamber Ensemble Concert, and my oboist goddaughter Linnea performed in three ensembles. Here she is with her quintet playing Edward Elgar's Harmony Music. She's amazing!

Fun with JSB!

A Facebook friend recently shared a video she found on youtube. It's so much fun, I just have to pass it along!



This is for real!

Making Cucumber Sandwiches for Devonshire Tea

In my last post I wrote about this afternoon's Service of Choral Evensong. The music will be glorious, and if you're in the Rochester area, I hope you'll come. Evensong will be followed by a traditional English High Tea, or Devonshire Tea. Devonshire Tea is more like a meal than a snack, and almost always includes cucumber sandwiches. I just finished making several trays.











Traditional English cucumber sandwiches are made by placing cucumber slices between two pieces of buttered bread. In New Zealand they are made a little differently. A butter and cream cheese spread is used instead of plain butter, and various spices are mixed into the cucumber. Garlic, dill, Italian seasoning, curry, pepper - there are many variants of New Zealand cucumber sandwiches. Here is the recipe I used:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 cucumbers, unpeeled & thinly sliced (or 1 long seedless English cucumber)
1 Loaf white hearty sandwich bread

Remove crust from bread with a sharp knife and cut into shapes: triangles, rectangles or squares.
Place cream cheese, butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper and dill in a small bowl; stir to combine, or use an electric mixer. Spread lightly on all bread slices, top one slice with cucumbers and another bread slice.
Cover with foil or plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Choral Evensong

In 2001 and again in 2005, I had the privilege of singing in Great Britain with the Chancel Choir of Third Presbyterian Church. In 2001 we served as choir-in-residence at Rochester Cathedral in Kent, England. When we returned to England in 2005 we served as choir-in-residence at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It was an awesome experience to make music in these beautiful and historic places of worship. We sang daily evensong in cathedrals where these services have been sung for a millennium.

This Sunday afternoon, the Chancel Choir will share this experience with the community, when we sing a Service of Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. The service music will include Richard Shephard’s Preces and Responses, O Taste and See by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G, and Faire is the Heaven by William H. Harris. The service of Evensong will be followed by a traditional English tea, featuring cucumber sandwiches, scones, cookies and, of course, real English tea.

It’s an ecumenical and cultural event, open to the public. If you’ve never experienced evensong, I highly recommend coming to Third Presbyterian on Sunday afternoon. The church is located on East Avenue at Meigs Street in Rochester, and here is a link to a map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=East+Avenue+at+Meigs+Street,+Rochester,+NY&ie=UTF8&ll=43.155465,-77.590749&spn=0.00706,0.013819&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

I hope to see you there!

Happy Mothers Day!

Every year on Mothers Day, Third Presbyterian Church has its annual Music and Arts Recognition Sunday. To begin today’s service the Carol Choir, comprised of 1st and 2nd graders, sang “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” It’s a lovely service in which all the children’s choirs sing, and each 6th grader graduating from the Junior Choir receives a copy of the Presbyterian Hymnal. It’s a wonderful tradition and a great way to honor our mothers, by celebrating children and families.

Earlier this morning, I was listening to an interview with Rabbi Sandy Sasso on the public radio program Speaking of Faith. She talked about how important our family rituals are, and how these everyday experiences in families support and nurture a child’s spirituality.

She told the story of the weekly Shabbat ritual that she and her husband observed with their children. They lit the candles and said the traditional Shabbat prayers. Then they would embrace their children and say a prayer blessing for the children for the week to come. And now that her children are grown, they still call every Friday evening to receive the Shabbat blessing.

We all carry our traditions and rituals from one generation to the next. They shape who we are and how we approach life. When my sisters and brother and I were children, our parents read to us and prayed with us every evening. That has stayed with me my entire life, and is still part my daily practice, and also my siblings and their families.

Remember to say a prayer of thanks today for the family rituals and traditions our mothers (and fathers) shared with us at the beginning of our life’s journey.

Happy Mothers Day!

Thoughts About Holy Week

Today Christians all over the world are celebrating Maundy Thursday, the day that begins the commemoration of the betrayal, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The name Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin mandatum – Jesus’ mandate in John 13:34 “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you).

This season of the year, which includes Easter, Passover and Earth Day, has also seen some of humanity’s worst offenses, such as the Columbine Shootings and the Oklahoma City Bombing. In the wake of the recent tragedies in Binghamton, New York, where 13 people were killed in a shooting at the American Civic Association Building, and this week’s earthquake in the Italian region of Abruzzo that killed nearly 300 people, the mandatum of Maundy Thursday becomes even more important.

As we move from betrayal to death and finally to the promise of new life, may God’s love be our companion on the journey. Take time to tell family and friends that you love them; make an effort to heal relationships, and look for ways to help others who are not as fortunate. And remember the sacrifice and redemption that we celebrate this week.

And if you are in Rochester, please join me at one or all of the worship services at Third Presbyterian Church on East Avenue.

Thursday, April 9 at 7:00 pm
Tenebrae (Service of Darkness) is an ancient tradition observing the darkness of Christ’s passion and death before the celebration the resurrection

Friday, April 10 at 12:10 pm
Good Friday Liturgy in the Chapel

Sunday, April 12 at 9:00 and 11:00 am
Festival Easter Worship Service with choirs, brass and bells

With Heart and Voice host recognized by Vatican

WXXI’s Richard Gladwell was awarded the prestigious Benemerente Medal this afternoon by Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark, at a special concert in Mr. Gladwell’s honor. The Benemerenti Medal is one of the Vatican’s highest honors to the laity, and is conferred by the Holy See on those who have exhibited long and exceptional service to their community.

The concert included performances by choirs from Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. Anne Church in Rochester, St. Paul’s Church in Webster and St. Louis Church in Pittsford. Organists John Morabito, Stephanie Honz and Rudy DeVos also performed, and singers from the audience joined the choirs to sing a musical blessing of Richard, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by Peter Lutkin.

Ooh, Shiny!

The spring season of Live from Hochstein broadcast concerts on WXXI-FM opened today with an exciting performance by the Eastman Trombone choir. The ensemble played arrangements of music by Strauss, Handel and Bach, and new works by Chris Brubeck, John Firth and former Eastman professor Emory Remington. The music was sonorous and fun, and the Hochstein Performance Hall is a great place to listen to brass ensembles. And it's captivating to watch all that brass shining and reflecting throughout the hall!

Live from Hochstein is the longest running live broadcast concert series in Western New York. The lunchtime programs range from soloists and chamber ensembles to large orchestras and choirs. The broadcasts are presented as free brown bag concerts, at the Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 North Plymouth Avenue in Rochester.

For a complete schedule of this spring's programs, visit http://wxxi.org/hochstein

Papal Honor for WXXI Program Host

Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark will present the prestigious Benemerenti Medal to Richard Gladwell, host and producer of WXXI’s nationally syndicated radio program With Heart and Voice. The Benemerenti Medal is one of the Vatican’s highest honors to the laity, and is conferred on those who have exhibited long and exceptional service to their community.

The medal will be given to Mr. Gladwell by Bishop Clark at a special free concert in Mr. Gladwell’s honor at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester, on Sunday March 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Choirs and organists from the Diocese of Rochester will perform a number of Mr. Gladwell’s favorites, and representatives from several community organizations will pay tribute to his accomplishments.

I hope to see you there!