Sierracanon's Blog

Sometimes random thoughts on life, music, hiking, cycling, wine, love.

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So long to 2020!

Posted by sierracanon on January 9, 2021
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Whew… what a crazy year it has been! I think most of us are really ready to move on into 2021!

The year started out normal enough, with the usual political chaos which has engulfed us for the past four years. But slowly, COVID-19 started to make its way across America.

Highlights of the year for our family:

  • The Baptism of our sweet granddaughter Chloe in March
  • Sharene’s trip to Palm Desert for Michele’s bridal party weekend
  • Sharene participated in the Purimspiel at Congregation B’nai Israel
  • A fabulous Diocesan Choir Festival with Tim Brown from Cambridge
  • David learning to cope with livestreaming of Cathedral services
  • We bought new bikes, after David’s beloved Red Baron bicycle became detached from the car roof rack, and was destroyed on US 50
  • Had to cancel the Cathedral Choir’s 2020 residency at Durham Cathedral in England (not exactly a highlight)
  • A few days holiday in Mendocino, escaping a massive valley heat wave
  • We raised over $5,000 riding Bike MS this year, in a virtual fundraising ride
  • Welcomed a new Dean to Trinity Cathedral
  • David featured in Sacramento’s “Inside” magazine, and named Canon Precentor of Trinity Cathedral
  • Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected!
  • Our offer to buy a home in Camino in El Dorado wine country was accepted. Stay tuned for more on that!
Bike MS!

So what comes next in 2021?? Hopefully better times… with a new administration, getting COVID under control, and getting settled in our new home.

Sharene and I both want to wish all of our friends and loved ones around the world a prosperous and healthy year ahead!

Stay tuned!

Bike MS “Wine to Wine” ride report

Posted by sierracanon on September 28, 2020
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The River City Roadies ready to ride!

On Saturday morning, September 26th, I was joined by Sharene and my niece Kristen to ride the 2020 edition of Bike MS: Waves to Wine. Initially, the ride was scheduled to take place in Sonoma County, doing a nice hilly loop from Rohnert Park through Sebastopol. This was to be my third year riding “Waves to Wine,” and I was really looking forward to it. However, with the COVID 19 pandemic full engaged, the large group ride was cancelled, and turned in to a virtual ride: Bike MS InsideOut. This meant that all of the participants would work up a ride on their own, near to their homes in place of going to Sonoma County.

So I designed a 24 mile loop in the Sacramento Delta Wine Country (“Wine to Wine”), starting and finishing at Julietta Winery near Clarksburg, a favorite hangout for Sharene and me.

Saturday morning started warm and clear as we headed for South River Road to start our loop. “I think my tire is flat.” Yup, Kristen managed to get a flat tire just four miles into the day, which was a bummer. We pulled into the parking lot at Miners Leap Winery, and made a quick fix, and were back on the road. Our route took us seven miles along the Sacramento River to Babel Slough. Though the surface is a bit rough, the road is generally quiet and shady, past farms and vineyards, and was an enjoyable part of the ride. We hit the halfway point just before arriving at our next turn onto Hwy 84 (aka Jefferson Blvd).

Babel Slough

There had been a pretty good wind all morning long, and the five mile stretch along Jefferson was enhanced by a lovely tail-wind and smooth pavement, which kicked up our pace, and made up a little for the flat tire delay. Our next turn took us onto Netherlands Road, as we headed back towards Clarksburg.

That wonderful tail-wind we enjoyed then became a cross-wind, and occasionally a head-wind as we wound our way towards Clarksburg. The wind had been picking up all day long, and it was making all of us a little tired. But we pressed on and were back on Clarksburg Road (head-wind!) for the last long mile and a half back to Julietta. Whew! We all made it.

Lunchtime!

Julietta was hopping with activity on Saturday, with live music, and the Cousins of Maine Lobster Truck serving food. We enjoyed a nice post-ride lunch including Lobster Rolls and wine. And the super bonus treat was a Bike MS styled cake baked by daughter Holly. It was delicious!

But the real point of all of this is to raise money for MS Society, which we did pretty well! So far, I have raised over $4000, and collectively our little team has raised over $5500! As a bonus “thank you” to the generosity of my donors, I actually rode the loop twice… once on Friday as a solo ride, and with the team on Saturday!

Bike MS cake by Holly

I have so many people to thank. Huge thanks to my wife Sharene and niece Kristen, who committed to doing this thing, and raised good money along the way. And to Abbey, for whom we ride, along with Drew who came over from Santa Rosa to cheer us on. And finally, to all of the donors whose generosity made this ride a success. Nationwide, Bike MS riders have raised over seven million dollars this year.

For those who haven’t yet gotten around to making a contribution, it’s not too late! https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/sierracanon

Our GPS track

Bike MS “Wine to Wine” ride

Posted by sierracanon on September 14, 2020
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As most of my friends know by now, Sharene and I are fundraising for the MS Society through the Bike MS program. But most of you may not know exactly what this money does.

To oversimplify a bit… the nerve endings in most living beings is protected by a sheath known as Myelin. This fatty protein based sheath allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells. Someone with MS has experienced a degradation of Myelin, which can cause any number of neurological problems. While the exact cause of this is still unknown, pioneering research has been working to find ways to restore the integrity of Myelin in MS patients.

The MS Society has recognized the work of Dr Ian Duncan, a professor of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, by awarding him the 2020 Dystel prize for his research. While his work is not a cure for MS, his research into repairing damaged Myelin, will hopefully develop treatments to improve the symptoms of MS patients. You can read more about Dr Duncan and his research here.

So that is why we ride for Bike MS… to improve the lives of MS patients including our daughter Abbey, diagnosed with MS a little more than two years ago. Sharene and I will be riding our virtual “Wine to Wine” ride in the River Delta Wine country on September 26th, and would love to reach our fundraising goals by then. Thank you for your support!

Click here to donate to David’s Bike MS Wine to Wine fundraising https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/sierracanon

Click here to donate to Sharene’s Bike MS Wine to Wine fundraising https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/sharene


Bike MS Waves to Wine 2020 update

Posted by sierracanon on August 29, 2020
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We are just four weeks away from Bike MS: Waves to Wine 2020! There have been some interesting developments as we look forward to this year’s ride. The biggest of them, is that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all of the BIKE MS events nationwide, are going “virtual.” That means that there are no group events taking place in person, but each rider will be responsible for creating their own route approximating the mileage they would have ridden in the usual event, and saving the GPS track for proof! So on Saturday, September 26th, thousands of riders across the United States will be doing the ride “close to home.” There will be a virtual opening ceremony, check-ins during the day, and a virtual closing ceremony at the end of the day.

So Sharene and I will be doing our ride right here in the Sacramento area, likely in the Delta Region where we train so often. We have still been doing training rides as if the original ride event was taking place, and we continue to fund-raise for Bike MS, which is the point after all!

And we ride for my daughter Abagail, who was diagnosed with MS just a little over two years ago. And in the age of COVID, the risks are higher for those with MS, as it compromises a patient’s immune system.

There is no cure for MS, and it doesn’t care if you are young or old or male or female. But the MS Society raises funds to fund research into the causes of MS, to develop new treatments to lessen the patient’s life with MS, and maybe someday, to discover a cure.

We deeply appreciate the support of everyone who has supported our fund raising so far. But we have another month to raise more money, and hopefully to meet our goals by September 26th. Please click the link below to contribute to either Sharene or me, or both. Thank you so much!!

Click here to contribute to David’s Bike MS fundraising

Click here to contribute to Sharene’s Bike MS fundraising

Watch for updates on September 26th, as we do the very first Bike MS Sacramento River Delta Ride!

 

Skywalker

Posted by sierracanon on June 18, 2020
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Ten years ago today, I took delivery of a new bicycle. “The Red Baron” was a Specialized Tarmac S-3 road bike, which had been ridden in the Amgen Tour of California by the Saxo Bank cycling team. It was the grand prize in an Amgen drawing sponsored by VeloNews and Specialized bikes. The Baron and I rode well over 12,000 miles over the last ten years, and had many great adventures.

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The Red Baron

Unfortunately, The Baron met an untimely death on highway 50 a few weeks ago. I’ll spare you the gory details, but the bike was pretty much destroyed. Fortunately, the bike was on our homeowner’s insurance inventory, and I received a fair settlement so that I could buy a new bike.

Last week I took possession of a new bike… a Specialized Roubaix which has been dubbed “Skywalker.” The Roubaix has a Shimano 105 drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, and DT Swiss R470 wheels. The Fact 10r carbon frame includes the Specialized “Future Shock 1.5” technology, which puts a little bit of give between the front fork and the rider. This bike is super comfortable, and a pleasure to ride.

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So even though Skywalker is not a thoroughbred racing machine like The Red Baron, it is very well suited to my style of riding, which is “miles over speed.”

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Huge thanks to Wayne at Mike’s Bikes in Sacramento for helping me through all of this mess, and to my daughter Holly, for coming up with the name. I am looking forward to many years and miles with Skywalker!

 

 

Complete specs:

  • Fact 10r carbon Rider First Engineered frame with future shock 1.0 fork & headset
  • Shimano 105 hydraulic disc brakes
  • Shimano 105 front and rear derailleurs
  • Shimano 105 R7020 brake/shifter levers
  • Praxis Alba crankset, 50/34t chainrings
  • Shimano M350 spd pedals
  • Shimano 105 11 speed, 11-34t cassette
  • S-works Pave seatpost
  • Specialized Body Geometry Romin comp saddle
  • DT Swiss R470 disc wheels, Specialized Turbo comp tires

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Sierracanon with Skywalker

David Link virtual mini pipe organ recital

Posted by sierracanon on May 12, 2020
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Thursday, May 14th at 7: 30 pm

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Join me on Facebook, for a mini-organ recital live from Trinity Cathedral! The program will include some of my most-requested favorites, and I will be assisted by our Cathedral choir soprano choral scholar Bernadette Rose Mondok.

This will be the most unique organ recital I’ve ever given, with no audience in the Cathedral, but watching at home on Facebook Live. The program includes some of my most-requested pieces, which I hope will help everyone feel more connected to the Cathedral during this time of sheltering.

Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne (BuxWV 137) – Dietrich Buxtehude
Prelude on “Wachet auf”  (BWV 645) – J. S. Bach
Adagio in g minor – Tomaso Albinoni, realized by Remo Giazotto
“Eternal source of light divine” (HWV 74) – G. F. Handel
March in F (1875) – J. H. Wallis
Le Banquet Celeste – Olivier Messiaen
Pim’s Toccata (1992) – Alan Wilson

Tune into our Facebook page to join me:
https://www.facebook.com/Trinity.Cathedral.Sacramento/

So pour yourself a glass of your favorite evening beverage, and join me!

Download the complete program here:  Link Organ concert program

Check out the Trinity Cathedral organ here: Cathedral organ specification

Around the Mother Mountain

Posted by sierracanon on March 7, 2020
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The summer of 2019 afforded the opportunity for a partial sabbatical, and hiking was a major part of my sabbatical plans. I have been wanting to return to Mount Rainier National Park, where I spent a week during my last sabbatical. My goal has been to thru-hike the Northern Loop trail, which takes in part of the famed Wonderland Trail circumnavigating Mount Rainier. One of the most difficult parts of hiking in MRNP, is getting a permit for the itinerary and dates one wishes to have. After several reservation attempts, and multiple phone calls, it became clear that the Northern Loop was not to be for me this year. So, I put together an itinerary in the Northeastern part of the park, a circumnavigation of Mother Mountain.

Day 0 – Getting there  After days of shopping and packing and repacking, I loaded up the Subaru and hit the road. It is a LONG drive from Sacramento, especially when you’re driving alone. I spent the night at a “lovely” KOA kampground outside of Corvallis, where I spent the evening with the RV and Bud Light crowd.

Day 1 – The Mountain  I got an early start the next morning, and arrived at the Carbon River Ranger station around noon to pick up my wilderness permit. They take these very seriously here, you are expected to have it displayed prominently at all times. I found a nice shady parking spot in the small parking lot at the Carbon River trailhead, loaded up, and started walking.

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The first day’s hiking was five miles along an old washed out road, running along the Carbon River. The Carbon has a history of extreme flooding, and it is very evident here. Massive trees laid on their sides, pulled up out of the earth, taking large boulders along with them.  My destination for the night was the Ipsut Creek campground, and for many years, this was a regular drive-up campground. But flooding of the Carbon River had caused so much damage to the road over the years, that now it is only accessible by foot or bicycle, and is part of the backcountry camp system.

I arrived at Ipsut Creek camp, found a lovely campsite in the damp Northwest forest, and got set up. That first night was spent reading up, and carb-loading for the next day of hiking, which would be more difficult and substantial!

Day 2 – Crossing the Carbon  Today’s walking would involve 2,200′ of elevation gain over five miles, and two crossing of the Carbon River, as I headed towards the next campsite at Cataract Valley. The first part of the trail has some initial climbing, and a number of stream crossings, before arriving at the lower crossing of the Carbon River. This part of the river is very wide and braided, and has several small footbridges to get to the other side. I had crossed this before, and knew it was manageable. After getting across the first bridge, I came across a trail crew, who were preparing to re-build a washed-out log bridge across a particularly dicey section of the river. That unfortunately, meant I had to rock hop across a deep, swift, cold glacially fed torrent, which is usually a pretty sphincter tightening experience for me. But I made it across with a little help from the crew, and finished the crossing without incident.

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The trail then turned south heading towards the Carbon Glacier, steadily climbing a mile-and-a-half to return back to the western side of the Carbon River, and the last climb up to Cataract Valley. In order to cross back at this spot, a 205 foot long suspension bridge has been built to the other side. Even though it is well built and sturdy, it is still a bit unnerving, as it rocks and sways as you cross… Indiana Jones style. I continued the last steep couple of miles to Cataract Valley camp, and arrived in mid-afternoon, found a campsite, got set up, and rested for the afternoon. I was pretty tired, so after dinner, I headed to bed pretty early, to rest up for the big day coming.

A word about backcountry camping in Mount Rainier NP… There are designated and numbered campsites, which are the only places you are allowed to camp. Your wilderness permit specifies which camp you are reserved for, and you have to stick to your itinerary. Each campsite has a good clear water source, some kind of backcountry toilet (no trowels or catholes!), and a steel pole for hanging your food bag. And the rangers do patrol and do check your permit. 

Day 3 – A walk in the park  Today was to be the longest and most difficult day of the trip, with 3,000’+ of up and 1,500′ of downhill over six and a half miles. The climbing starts immediately out of camp, and only relents occasionally, as the trail climbs up through a series of hanging meadows. As I climbed higher, the wildflowers got more and more spectacular, so photo breaks gave me plenty of excuses to stop and catch my breath.

As I got higher, I had the Mother Mountain complex in view to my right. This is actually a long steep ridge, consisting of three different summits, around which I was hiking. As I climbed ever higher, the vegetation became more sparse, and I entered the world of rock, snow, and ice on the Northern flanks of Mount Rainier. You have to really pay attention in this section, as the trail can sometimes be difficult to discern. The route required some boulder hopping, and a climb up a short but steep snowfield, as the views of Mount Rainier (the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states) got more and more spectacular.

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After finally gaining the high point of the trail at around 6,340′, I started the descent into beautiful Spray Park. The wildflowers were off the charts here, with Backpacker magazine worthy photo opportunities at every turn! I’ve never seen anything like it in person. Even though it is a steady downhill, the trail here is extremely well constructed and easy to navigate. I also began to run into a number of day-hikers making their way up from Mowich Lake, many of whom seemed to be debating how much more uphill they really wanted to do!

As the trail continues to descend, it leaves the beautiful meadows of Spray Park, and enters the classic Pacific Northwest rain forest, for the last couple of miles to Mowich Lake. I started to realize that I had not been drinking enough water on this sunny day, so stopped near Spray Falls to fill up my bottles for the last bit of the trail. I guzzled like mad, and felt much better. By late afternoon, I left the rain forest as I arrived at my next night’s camp at Mowich Lake. Mowich is unusual in that it is accessible to day-users and car-campers via a 20 mile long drive on a washboard gravel road. But about half the campsites are reserved for backpackers, so I found a nice shady site, and set up for the evening. After a couple of quiet evenings at Ipsut and Cataract, this campground seemed much busier and noisier.

I struck up a conversation with a gentleman (I use the term loosely: ‘blowhard’ might be more apt), who had come out to Washington to help his son move back to Florida. He had a few days to kill, and had decided to go camping here on the spur of the moment, having stopped somewhere to buy a tent, pad, bag, and backpack to do it. He spent a good hour railing against Democrats, Liberals, Californians, the homeless, immigrants, and everyone else who is responsible for America’s ills. I did my best to be civil, but finally decided it was time to get into my tent to read and listen to the iPod.

Day 4 – And down we go!  So far in the trip, I’d enjoyed stellar warm weather. But the forecast had been for a change, so I awoke to fog and wet everything. The fog burned off while I had coffee and breakfast, so I was able to dry things out enough to get packed and ready to head out. As I got ready to head out, the sun disappeared again, and the foggy conditions dominated the rest of the morning.

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Today’s hike started with a 1.6 mile slightly uphill hike to Ipsut Pass. From the pass there was four long miles of downhill with 2,700′ of elevation loss, back to the Carbon River. I hiked UP this same trail in 2015, and knew just how steep it was going to be. The hike to Ipsut Pass was uneventful, and I had a little snack break before I started down. As I was getting ready to go, I ran into Heather, a hiker I’d met at Cataract camp two days before, coming up over the pass. It can be a small world out there! The downhill was steep, and sometimes slippery, so I was glad for a pole, and boots with excellent traction. The trail is fairly overgrown, and Devil’s Club (which you don’t want to get involved with) thrives here. But the gorgeous wildflowers and thimble-berries (yumm!) made up for it, as I headed to my last night’s camp back at Ipsut Creek.

I chatted with a father and son who arrived from the trailhead a little after I did. There were starting the same hike that I was doing, except counter-clockwise. They were a little worried about the weather, as significant rain was expected the next afternoon. He ended up talking me into selling him my backpack raincover for his son’s pack, which was not waterproof. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need it on my last day, so was happy to help. I was very tired, and went to sleep quickly that night.

Day 5 – Out of the wild  I got up early, had coffee and breakfast, and packed up for the five miles back to the car. I was ready for a hot shower and cold beer, and the clean bed I had waiting for me. The walk out was enjoyable, with the a bit of sunshine peeking through once in while. I made it back to the car, and started the drive out.

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I always crave tacos at the end of a backpacking trip, and spotted “Taco Time” in the town of Enumclaw, and knew that it was time for lunch! I continued on to the Crystal Mountain Resort on the east side of the park, checked into my room, and enjoyed a long shower/bath/shower. I headed on over to the “Snorting Elk Cellar” to sample a couple of local brews, and as I was midway through my second drink, an epic storm blew in, complete with thunder, lightning, hail, and wind. I thought about the people I’d met at Ipsut Creek, who were on the mountain in that weather, and hoped that they were okay!

A fabulous dinner in the Alpine Inn restaurant included Hungarian goulash, a fresh berry cobbler, and Irish coffee to finish it off. I felt great!

Day 6 – Home, James!  I had it on good authority that my granddaughter and her parents were going to be in my neighborhood in a couple of days, and wanting to visit, so it was time to head home. After a massive breakfast at the Alpine Inn, I started to head home. I made a short side trip to the Sunrise area of the park, which I’d never seen, and then hit the road for the long drive back to Sacramento.

I made a stop in Portland for happy hour and gnosh with my good friend Bruce Neswick, who is the Canon Musician at our sister Cathedral there, and then headed to Eugene for a restful night in a newly built hotel room. And the last day, that long drive down Interstate 5 to Sacramento.

What a fantastic trip this was. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for some mountain adventure in the Pacific Northwest! The Mother Mountain loop is 27 miles long with 7,879′ of elevation gain and loss.

See complete photos here!

Footwear note: Those of you who have hiked with me know that my feet are always problematic on backpacking trips. Blisters are a constant problem, and I am always doing minor surgery at the end of each day to keep going. This year, I purchased a new pair of boots… the Adidas Terrex Free-Hikers. These are an interesting hybrid of a trail running shoe and hiking boot, and are super comfortable. For the first time ever, I finished five days of backpacking with NO blisters on my feet! This is a very big deal, and I love these boots. You can see a full review of them here: My Free-hiker review here

 

 

 

 

 

Once in Royal David’s City…

Posted by sierracanon on December 17, 2019
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Durer nativityFrom the opening notes of the familiar Christmas hymn sung by a lone soprano, a musical carol tradition going back over a century begins. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (and this hymn) was made famous by the chapel choir of King’s College, Cambridge, England, and heard by millions around the world through their annual broadcast. But the service had humble beginnings at Cornwall’s Truro Cathedral back in 1880. And Mrs. Alexander’s hymn first appeared in this service in 1919, one-hundred years ago, and has appeared in the King’s College service every year since.

The story of Jesus’ birth is told through nine biblical readings, beginning with the “fall” of humankind, continuing with the prophets of Israel, and culminating with the story of that night so long ago. Each lesson is followed by a carol or hymn highlighting the reading, some sung by the Cathedral Choirs, and some with the congregation joining in.

This year we especially remember Sir Stephen Cleobury, who was the Director of Music at King’s College for thirty-seven years. He retired from King’s this last September, and died from cancer on Saint Cecilia’s day just a month ago. Sir Stephen began a tradition of commissioning a new carol for the service every year, and John Rutter’s lovely setting of “Dormi Jesu” which we sing this year, was commissioned for the 1999 service of Lessons and Carols at King’s.

At Trinity Cathedral, we have been presenting the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols for over twenty-five years. We invite you to join us for this beautiful and simple service, with music by the Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Choristers. We will hear music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Michael Praetorius, Boris Ord, John Rutter, David Willcocks, Francis Poulenc, and more! The Cathedral Choir is conducted by Canon David Link, Director of Music/Organist & Choirmaster, and the Choristers are led by Ms Kamilyn Davis.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will take place on Saturday, December 21st at 7:30 pm. Trinity Cathedral is located at 2620 Capitol Avenue at 27th Street in midtown Sacramento. Parking is available in the Sutter Community Garage at 27th and N Streets.

The full program for our service can be found here:

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2019

www.trinitycathedral.org

Some reflections on thirty-five years

Posted by sierracanon on November 25, 2019
Posted in: Uncategorized. 3 Comments

On Sunday, November 25, 1984, I played my first service as the newly minted Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento. I hadn’t actually planned to start that day… I had a couple of Sundays in-between the church situation which I was leaving, and the start of my tenure at Trinity. But I got a call from the Dean, the Saturday night before, asking what I was planning to do on Sunday morning. I mentioned that I planned to come to church and sit through the services to get a feel for things. He said “bring some organ music with you.” My predecessor had gotten in an accident that day, and would not be able to finish out her time. So I was on!

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Early 1980’s, ready for a new adventure

And so began a journey which has lasted much longer than I ever imagined. The job was quarter-time, and didn’t pay very well, so I thought I’d put in a few years, and then move on to something bigger and better funded, and better paying. But the program grew over the years, and became a full-time job, and the “fit” continues to be perfect.

During my early time at the Cathedral, I met other musicians from around the Diocese, who told me that they’d never been asked to join in anything at the Cathedral. So the idea of a Diocesan Choir Festival was formed, where singers from around the Diocese could come for a day of singing under the direction of a distinguished guest conductor, finishing with a service of Choral Evensong. Evensong was not widely done in the Diocese in those days, so I thought there was some benefit to that as well. The first festival was conducted by my friend Dr John Fenstermaker, who was Canon for Music at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The festival was a resounding success, and despite some financial challenges, continues to this day. We have welcomed some of the most distinguished Anglican musicians from around the world over the thirty-three years of the Festival.

When I had been at the Cathedral for a few years, and the choir was growing and sounding pretty good, I began to formulate the idea of taking them to England to sing in the great Cathedrals. In England, the regular choirs take some time off during the summer, and choirs from around the world are invited to sing the daily services in their absence. We recorded an audition tape and sent them off to various Cathedrals, and received invitations to sing at Wells, Chichester, and Salisbury Cathedrals.

This was a huge challenge for the choir. The sheer amount of repertoire needed to do two weeks of residency can be pretty overwhelming. But we spent two years planning and rehearsing and fund-raising, and in the summer of 1990, we made our first “choir pilgrimage.” It was extremely successful, and we received many invitations to return. We have been back to England four more times, in 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2003. We’ve sung in some of England’s finest Cathedrals including Winchester, Lincoln, Norwich, Truro, Southwark, Peterborough, Canterbury, York Minster, and Westminster Abbey. To sing in a church which has offered music and prayer for a dozen centuries, is a profound and  life changing experience.

With the Cathedral Choir at Westminster Abbey in 2003

It has been quite a while since our last visit, so we will be going again next summer, “in residence” at Beverley Minster and Durham Cathedral.

In 1990, we started a new full time adult choir which we called the “Celebration Choir.” The purposed of this new choir was sing music which would not be considered main-stream traditional Anglican repertoire. Over time this group has built a wonderful list of music in non-traditional styles like Jazz, Black Gospel, world music, Taize, and more. This wonderful choir is a little more casual than the Cathedral Choir, and sings for the 9:00 service every Sunday.

In 1986, I commissioned Martin How to compose a setting of the evening canticles to the American Book of Common Prayer “Rite II” text. This was the first of many compositions written for us by Bruce Neswick, Ray W. Urwin, Humphrey Clucas, Anthony Caesar, Simon Lole, Paul Halley, and many others. Many of these fine pieces have been published, and some have become best-sellers for their publishers.

In the summer of 2004 I was able to take advantage of my first “sabbatical” leave. I wanted to do something really special, so spent the summer hiking in preparation for a climb of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At a height of 19,340′, Kili is the highest mountain in Africa, and one of the world’s “Seven Summits.” It was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I made it to the summit on July 19th, and then safely home. Mountain hiking continues to be one of my favorite passions, which feeds my soul away from the Cathedral.

By 2014, the Cathedral’s fine Reuter pipe organ had developed some serious problems. The pedal principal pipes in the façade were collapsing under their own weight, the electronics in the console had developed serious reliability problems, the primary wind reservoir had water damage from a burst pipe, and more. A committee was formed to raise funds for the project, and those funds came quickly. The second goal of the project was to complete the long planned “Processional” division at the north end of the Cathedral. The project was completed by Schoenstein organ builders in 2016, and I couldn’t be happier with the result!

I have been privileged to be the music director for the Consecration and Seating of three Bishops, and have somehow outlasted three Bishops and three Cathedral Deans. We have recently been joined by a wonderful new Bishop, and are currently in the midst of the search for a new Dean.

My personal life has changed in many ways too. I have raised three daughters, and been married three times! I have spent more than half of my life at Trinity Cathedral, which I find kind of astonishing. I believe I am the second-longest tenured Episcopal Cathedral Musician in the United States (my colleague in Oklahoma City has forty-one years under his belt!).

Canon Link in his natural habitat/happy place.

But all of this would not be possible without many others with whom I work. The number of immensely talented singers who have been members of my choirs over the years, is kind of overwhelming. The support of so many clergy and staff members has made my job easier every day. And the support of the vestry and congregation is an important partnership which I do not take for granted. Most of all, I appreciate the support of my family and especially my loving wife Sharene. I could not do this complicated work without her support.

And the future?? Some have quipped “and another thirty-five to go!” I’m not sure that I can continue to do this until I am 99 years old! But my hope is to retire from full-time Church music work at the age of 70, which is in six years. But for now, my heart is full of gratitude for this gift of my vocation at Trinity Cathedral.

I love you all!

 

Choral Evensong for the Feast of St Cecilia

Posted by sierracanon on November 9, 2019
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

800px-Saint_Cecilia_WymondleyPlease join the Trinity Cathedral Choir on Thursday, November 21st at 6:00 pm, for a special service of Choral Evensong, commemorating St Cecilia who is the patron saint of Music and Musicians. The Cathedral Choir is pleased to welcome Dr Ryan Enright as our organist for this service. The music will include the rarely performed Evening Canticles (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis) by American Composer Lee Hoiby. This highly original setting is unlike anything else in the Evensong repertoire, and has a distinctly “American” sound to it, reflecting the style of Samuel Barber and Hoiby’s teacher Gian Carlo Menotti.

The anthem will be “A Hymn for St Cecilia” by English composer Herbert Howells, to a lovely text by Ursula Vaughan-Williams (second wife of famed composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams). The service will also include music by Sir Sidney Nicholson, Richard Ayleward, and Henry Smart.

This service of Evensong has special meaning for me personally too. It will mark the completion of thirty-five years as Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento. I believe I am the second longest standing musician in an American Episcopal Cathedral,  having spent well over half my life here, and hope to be able to continue here until my planned retirement in six years.

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I hope you will join us for this special Choral Evensong service, honoring our musical Patron Saint!

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is located at 2620 Capitol Avenue at 27th Street in mid-town Sacramento.  http://www.trinitycathedral.or

 

 

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