Saturday, March 31, 2012

Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22


Illustration by Lauren Monaco

Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor is one of my favorite concertos. I grew up listening to it, but in the last three years, it has become one of my top favorites. Our daughter Kathryn chose the first movement of this dynamic concerto as the finale for her senior piano recital. I will never tire of viewing the recording of her performance. She will however never allow me to post that on my blog!

So, I'm bringing you the next best thing--Arthur Rubinstein performing the first movement of the concerto, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra with conductor, André Previn. Of course Arthur Rubinstein looks nothing like Kathryn! Regardless, it is a high calibre recording of a superb performance by the legendary artist. The movement starts slow and builds with increasing degrees whereby by the middle section, the fingers move so fast they seem to be flying off the keys (my favorite section).

I hope you will come to enjoy this concerto as much as I do!

Monday, March 26, 2012

I Got Mail


Painting by Steven Alfred (1823-1906)

I rarely receive handwritten letters these days, living in our technological age where emails and text messages rule the day. But three weeks ago, I received an aerogram from Dr. Tow, the man instrumental in how I became a Christian. As I read his handwritten note, it was as if God was assuring me that just as He had His eye on me when I was little, plucking me out of a pagan world, He continues to have His eye on me during this time of physical conundrum.

Dr. Tow had heard about my eye issues and was writing to encourage me and to tell me that he’s praying for me. He will always hold a special place in my heart, especially now that my father has died. As I sat next to him at my niece’s wedding in Singapore this past summer, I was reminded of how gracious God has been to our family in bringing Dr. Tow into our lives. Through the faithful service of one man, three generations of our family have come to know God.

When I was about seven, my mother underwent major surgery. After being discharged from the hospital, her surgeon, Dr. Tow, would come by our house daily to check up on her. He would end each visit with prayer, gathering my father and us children around my mother as he prayed. None of us were Christians then. My mother was a Taoist/Buddhist (we had a whole room in our house dedicated just to the worship of the various deities), my father was of the persuasion that all religions lead to the same God, and us kids were just a confused lot! On his last visit, when my mother fully recovered, he asked my parents if he could take us kids to church. My parents were so touched by his arduous care of my mom and his sincere faith, they readily agreed. Besides, they were happy to expose us to what they thought was just another source of good moral grounding. For years thereafter, Dr. Tow and his wife would come by our house every Sunday to take us to church, having first dropped off their own children at church to make room for us. We attended Sunday School, and later sat with his family for worship. It was at that church that I heard the gospel and was baptized, with Dr. Tow present.

Decades later, when my parents were in their 70s, on separate occasions, Dr. Tow was once again present when they were baptized. For my father’s baptism, our whole family was able to fly home; I can still see my father with my mind’s eye on that Resurrection Sunday, his face beaming, one hand grasping the Bible, the other Dr. Tow’s hand after his baptism service. Such a perfect picture of joy and peace in spite of his physical debilitation. We were sadly not able to go home for my mother's baptism about a year later. But what's important is that my father got to see her be baptized. My father's greatest concern when he became ill was that my mother was not a Christian. Parkinson's and dementia may have robbed him of a lot, but they could not take away his love for my mom and his God, and the knowledge of the Truth that ultimate life and hope can only be found in Christ Jesus. In spite of several near death encounters, God kept my father alive just long enough for him to see my mother baptized before He finally ushered him Home this day 13 years ago!

When my father became housebound, it was once again Dr. Tow who came by the house regularly (the same house but this time without the altar room) to read Scripture to him. On the morning my father died, it was Dr. Tow who arrived first to comfort my mom.

The mercy and love of God to bring this obedient child of His into our lives, and the faithfulness of this child of God in ushering God’s grace to us.

Abraham had his call out of Haran; Ruth had her story of rescue; Zaccheus, Paul, Cornelius, Augustine, John Wesley had theirs. This is my family's. What is yours?

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:9-10