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Out recitalist Christopher Houlihan shares tricks of the trade

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Christopher Houlihan, gay news, Washington Blade
Christopher Houlihan, gay news, Washington Blade

Christopher Houlihan at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., on March 6, 2016. (Washington Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)

Christopher Houlihan
 
Organ recital
 
Presented by the National Symphony Orchestra
 
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
 
Wednesday, May 4
 
8 p.m.
 
$15
 

Organist Christopher Houlihan took a few minutes with us by phone from Hartford, Conn., where he was playing at his alma mater Trinity College (where he’s artist in residence) in advance of his Washington recital next week. He plays the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, May 4. His comments have been slightly edited for length.

WASHINGTON BLADE: Does organ music translate well to iPods?

CHRISTOPHER HOULIHAN: I think it can. … Some pieces work better than others. I don’t tend to listen to it if I just want to have some music playing because if it’s organ music, I tend to focus on it too much. If you want the best experience possible, there’s nothing more exciting than a live organ shaking the room.

BLADE: Recording organ is hard with all the outside noise that can happen. Can engineers take out sirens and that sort of thing?

HOULIHAN: In my experience, we haven’t been able to do that. We’ve had to do another take. But yes, recording in a big city is really tough. You usually have to do it in the middle of the night. But then sometimes if it rains, you lose a whole night.

BLADE: Do you plan to keep recording and releasing CDs?

HOULIHAN: I would definitely like to do more. I have a Bach CD that’s in the works to be released. … I hope in time over what I hope is a long career that I’ll have several recordings released.

BLADE: Can you tell which stops are pipe or digital on a hybrid organ?

HOULIHAN: When they’re done well, I think they can be very effective. … It’s a tough question to answer. I can tell, but I’ve played lots of hybrid organs and completely digital organs and what matters most is if you can make music on them and you absolutely can.

BLADE: What is the consensus among elite organists about the Kennedy Center’s new Casavant organ?

HOULIHAN: It has a good reputation. I haven’t heard it myself yet but I’m excited. I’ve played lots of Casavants and some of their more recent instruments and I have nothing but good things to say. I’m sure the Kennedy Center’s is equally stunning.

BLADE: How much of a consideration is audience familiarity with certain pieces when you’re programming a recital? Are some works perhaps too much to digest?

HOULIHAN: It’s somewhat a consideration. I think a program needs to have balance so I think playing something they’re familiar with helps but I also find people like to be a little challenged and there are things they’ll like and find interesting whether they’re familiar with them or not. Most people aren’t familiar with a whole lot beyond the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, so it’s hard to give that too much weight.

BLADE: You played at First Baptist Church in Washington in 2013. How was it for you?

HOULIHAN: I had a great time. It’s a great space for organ music. The Austin organ there is enormous and has a great variety of colors and beautiful sounds.

BLADE: You don’t seem to post much on Facebook. How do you stay focused?

HOULIHAN: I guess I’m on Facebook as much as anybody. I don’t post a lot, but when it comes time to work, I put my phone aside and focus on practicing. Then I take a break when it’s time to take a break. … I’m much more interested in reaping the benefits of practicing. It’s not especially hard once you get yourself to the organ bench.

BLADE: (Your former teacher) Paul Jacobs was here last month at the Kennedy Center. What was your biggest overall lesson from your time with him?

HOULIHAN: I think one of the things all of Paul’s students would say is the level of commitment and discipline he brings to what he does. It’s inspiring and he expects no less from his students. That’s something that’s stuck with me for sure. To get a good result, you have to put in a lot of effort. He is very demanding of that and it pays off.

BLADE: On average about how long do you spend on a major work from first read until you perform it in recital?

HOULIHAN: I have no idea. I should calculate it someday. I tend to learn slowly. I’d rather take more time learning something before I bring it on the road. That works best for me but as for a specific amount of time, I don’t really know.

BLADE: Where were you when you heard about the Supreme Court marriage ruling last year? How did you feel?

HOULIHAN: I was thrilled. My mom was visiting New York City and we went out for pizza to celebrate.

BLADE: Is that an issue you followed very closely?

HOULIHAN: It was something I’d hoped for as a gay persons and I’m thrilled it’s the law of the land. But it’s also important to me now that we continue to fight, especially for trans people.

BLADE: Has being out ever been a professional hindrance in any perceptible way?

HOULIHAN: Not that I can think of. I suppose if a church didn’t want to invite me to play because of that, I’d never know about it. My church in New York, Church of the Holy Apostles, is incredibly gay friendly.

BLADE: Do the technical challenges of playing lighten at a certain level of proficiency or are they always there?

HOULIHAN: There are always technical obstacles there for anyone who really wants to grow and challenge themselves. But they’re exciting to work on and over time you learn how to practice and how to work on those challenges. It doesn’t get easier, but you learn how to tackle them.

BLADE: You seem genuinely nice. Do people prey on that?

HOULIHAN: I certainly know how to stand up for myself when that’s required.

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Music & Concerts

Musical icons and newer stars to rock D.C. this spring

Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, and more headed our way

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Brandi Carlile plays the Anthem this month.

Bands and solo artists of all different genres are visiting D.C. this spring. Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will team up to perform at the Wolf Trap in June, and girl in red will play at the Anthem in April. Some artists and bands aren’t paying a visit until the summer, like Janet Jackson and Usher, but there are still plenty of acts to see as the weather warms up. 

MARCH 

Brandi Carlile plays at the Anthem on March 21; Arlo Parks will perform at 9:30 Club on March 23; Girlschool will take the stage at Blackcat on March 28.

APRIL 

Nicki Minaj stops in D.C. at Capital One Arena as part of her North American tour on April 1; Bad Bunny plays at Capital One Arena on April 9 as part of his Most Wanted tour; girl in red performs at the Anthem on April 20 and 21; Brandy Clark plays at the Birchmere on April 25; Laufey comes to town to play at the Anthem on April 25 and 26. 

MAY 

Belle and Sebastian play at the Anthem on May 2; Chastity Belt performs at Blackcat on May 4; Madeleine Peyroux stops at the Birchmere on May 5; The Decemberists play at the Anthem on May 10; the rock band Mannequin Pussy performs at the Atlantis on May 17 and 18; Hozier plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 17 as part of the Unreal Unearth tour. 

JUNE 

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight will sing soulful melodies at Wolf Trap on June 8; Joe Jackson performs at the Lincoln Theatre on June 10; the Pixies and Modest Mouse are teaming up to play at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 14; Maggie Rogers plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 16 as part of The Don’t Forget Me tour; Brittany Howard headlines the Out & About Festival at Wolf Trap on June 22; Sarah McLachlan plays at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27; Alanis Morissette performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 29 and 30

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Music & Concerts

Grammys: Queer women and their sisters took down the house

Taylor Swift won Album of the Year

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When the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, her answer was simple: Nine. She stated: “I say when there are nine, people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” RBG did not attend the Grammy’s last night, but her spirit sure did. Women, at long last, dominated, ruled and killed the night.

Cher, in song a decade ago, declared that “this is a woman’s world,” but there was little evidence that was true, Grammy, and entertainment awards, speaking. In 2018, the Grammys were heavily criticized for lack of female representation across all categories and organizers’ response was for women to “step up.”

Be careful what you wish for boys.

The biggest star of the 2024 Grammys was the collective power of women. They made history, they claimed legacy and they danced and lip sang to each other’s work. Standing victorious was Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA (the most nominated person of the year), Lainey Wilson, Karol G, boygenius, Kylie Minogue and Victoria Monét. Oh, yes, and powerhouse Taylor Swift, the superstar from whom Fox News cowers in fear, made history to become the first performer of any gender to win four Best Album of the Year trophies.

In the throng of these powerful women stand a number of both LGBTQ advocates and queer identifying artists. Cyrus has identified as pansexual, SZA has said lesbian rumors “ain’t wrong,” Phoebe Bridgers (winner of four trophies during the night, most of any artist) is lesbian, Monét is bi and Eilish likes women but doesn’t want to talk about it. Plus, ask any queer person about Swift or Minogue and you are likely to get a love-gush.

Women power was not just owned by the lady award winners. There were the ladies and then there were the Legends. The first Legend to appear was a surprise. Country singer Luke Combs has a cross-generational hit this year with a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” When originally released, the song was embraced as a lesbian anthem. When performing “Fast Car,” surprise, there was Chapman herself, singing the duet with Combs. The rendition was stunning, sentimental and historic.

Chapman, like many of the night’s female dignitaries, has not been public with her sexuality. Author Alice Walker has spoken of the two of them being lovers, however.

The legend among legends of the night, however, was the one and only Joni Mitchell. Not gay herself, she embodies the concept of an LGBTQ icon, and was accompanied by the very out Brandi Carlile on stage. On her website, Mitchell’s statement to the LGBTQ community reads, “The trick is if you listen to that music and you see me, you’re not getting anything out of it. If you listen to that music and you see yourself, it will probably make you cry and you’ll learn something about yourself and now you’re getting something out of it.”

Mitchell performed her longtime classic “Both Sides Now.” The emotion, insight and delivery from the now 80-year old artist, survivor of an aneurism, was nothing short of profound. (To fully appreciate the nuance time can bring, check out the YouTube video of a Swift lookalike Mitchell singing the same song to Mama Cass and Mary Travers in 1969.) In this latest rendition, Mitchell clearly had an impact on Meryl Streep who was sitting in the audience. Talk about the arc of female talent and power.

That arc extended from a today’s lady, Cyrus, to legend Celine Dion as well. Cyrus declared Dion as one of her icons and inspirations early in the evening. Dion appeared, graceful and looking healthy, to present the final, and historic, award of the night at the end of the show.

Legends did not even need to be living to have had an effect on the night. Tributes to Tina Turner and Sinead O’Conner by Oprah, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor and Annie Lennox respectively, proved that not even death could stop these women. As Lennox has musically and famously put it, “Sisters are doing it for themselves.”

Even the content of performances by today’s legends-in-the-making spoke to feminine power. Eilish was honored for, and performed “What Was I Made For?,” a haunting and searching song that speaks to the soul of womanhood and redefinition in today’s fight for gender rights and expression, while Dua Lipa laid down the gauntlet for mind blowing performance with her rendition of “Houdini” at the top of the show, Cyrus asserted the power of her anthem “Flowers” and pretty much stole the show.

Cyrus had not performed the song on television before, and only three times publicly. She declared in her intro that she was thrilled over the business numbers the song garnered, but she refused to let them define her. As she sang the hit, she scolded the audience, “you guys act like you don’t know the words to this song.” Soon the woman power of the room was singing along with her, from Swift to Oprah.

They can buy themselves flowers from now on. They don’t need anyone else. Cyrus made that point with the mic drop to cap all mic drops, “And I just won my first Grammy!” she declared as she danced off stage.

Even the squirmiest moment of the night still did not diminish the light of women power, and in fact, underscored it. During his acceptance of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z had a bone to pick with the Grammy voters. He called out the irony that his wife Beyoncé had won more Grammys than any other human, but had never won the Best Album of the Year. Yeah, what’s with that?

But then, it brought additional context ultimately to the fact that the winner of the most Grammys individually … is a woman. And to the fact that the winner of the most Best Album of the Year awards … is a woman.

Hopefully this was the night that the Grammys “got it.” Women are the epicenter of The Creative Force.

Will the other entertainment awards get it soon as well? We can hope.

Most importantly, in a political world where women’s healthcare is under siege. Will the American voters get it?

A little known band named Little Mix put it this way in their 2019 song “A Woman’s World.”

“If you can’t see that it’s gotta change
Only want the body but not the brains
If you really think that’s the way it works
You ain’t lived in a woman’s world

Just look at how far that we’ve got
And don’t think that we’ll ever stop…”

From Grammy’s mouth to the world’s ear.

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Music & Concerts

Janet Jackson returning to D.C, Baltimore

‘Together Again Tour’ comes to Capital One Arena, CFG Bank Arena

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Janet Jackson is coming back to D.C. this summer.

Pop icon Janet Jackson announced this week an extension of her 2023 “Together Again Tour.” A new leg of the tour will bring Jackson back to the area for two shows, one at D.C.’s Capital One Arena on Friday, July 12 and another at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, July 13.  

Tickets are on sale now via TicketMaster. LiveNation announced the 2023 leg of the tour consisted of 36 shows, each of which was sold out. The 2024 leg has 35 stops planned so far; R&B star Nelly will open for Jackson on the new leg. 

Jackson made the tour announcement Tuesday on social media: “Hey u guys! By popular demand, we’re bringing the Together Again Tour back to North America this summer with special guest Nelly! It’ll be so much fun!”

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