The Ho’olokahi Chamber Choir’s participation in the Worldwide Devotional aired on May 3, 2026, became a moment where music, faith, and cultural identity harmonized on a global stage. Under the familiar and exquisite direction of Dr. Erica Glenn, the performance was not only a musical presentation but a spiritually grounded offering shaped by preparation, sacrifice, and purpose.
The performance became a shared experience in which students’ personal testimony, cultural representation, and global connection were expressed through song to a worldwide church audience.
Sacred Music and Intentional Preparation
“This is my fifth year at BYU–Hawaii, and these five years have felt like a whirlwind of minor miracles. My students are definitely my ‘why’,” Dr. Glenn confessed. “I often feel like these students are here at BYUH ‘for such a time as this’––just like Esther. They are the future of the worldwide Church in embryo.”
And with this confidence in her students, Dr. Glen knew that they would be able to take on the Worldwide Devotional, which gave them the chance to show music as both an artistic discipline and spiritual service. In class, Dr. Glenn prepared her students with an attention to detail and example of excellence as an expression of faith.
That intention shaped the rehearsal process. Sophomore Holi Fuluvaka, studying vocal performance, described the condensed timeline: “We had spent about a week and a half learning the piece and working on the Tagalog.” Fuluvaka emphasized that, even within a limited time, the choir focused carefully on pronunciation, translation, and musical accuracy, refining the piece by sacrificing time both “in and out of the choir room.”
Despite the intensity, he commended the experience for bridging people from different cultures and for being spiritually elevating. Fuluvaka shared, “I felt truly honored and truly blessed to be able to represent not only myself, but to represent the university on a global level. I feel like it truly puts BYUH out there on the map, and, personally, helps to showcase the capabilities of students from here.”
Cultural Identity, Testimony, and Representation
For junior vocal performance major Dallin Bacudo, the Worldwide Devotional carried profound personal and cultural significance as a Filipino student and Tagalog speaker.
“I pursue music because it symbolizes my love and connection to my family… It allows me to share my story, my culture, my identity, and my personality...”
That sense of identity deepened in the devotional context. “When I was first told I would be included in the Worldwide Devotional, I felt overwhelming joy,” Bacudo explained, “I am often moved to tears when I watch or listen to our performance. It reminds me of my home—where I was born, where I served my mission, and where my language and identity were shaped… Representing my country by singing in Tagalog is an indescribable feeling.”
Rebekah Sneddon, a junior double majoring in psychology and vocal performance, echoed the significance of representation from a broader institutional lens. “We just have so many amazing opportunities despite being a smaller campus,” said Sneddon. “It’s such a blessing to be seen… by the entire church that spans across the world.”
Unity Through Diversity
A defining theme across each student is that unity in the choir is not based on sameness, but on differences tuned into harmony.
“Singing is not just about expressing yourself, but about sharing your gift with others and uniting with them,” Bacudo described the choir’s guiding principle: “Harmony in Diversity,” explaining that despite differences in identity and background, “we can become one through music.”
Sneddon reinforced this idea from with her own experience: “Our choir has really helped me find my voice, both literally and figuratively...We have people who come from all over the world with vastly different experiences… but we share the fundamental truth that music is a big part of our lives, as well as the gospel. Our choir can showcase not just unity…but harmony that comes from the diversity of our voices... We can help share the light of Christ.”
A Global Testimony
The BYU–Hawaii choir’s participation in the Worldwide Devotional ultimately became more than a performance; it became a shared testimony expressed through music, language, and global connection. Under Dr. Erica Glenn’s leadership, students transformed preparation into worship and performance into spiritual offering.
For Holi Fuluvaka, Dallin Bacudo, and Rebekah Sneddon, the Worldwide Devotional marked a convergence of identity, faith, and representation. Across their voices, a unified message emerged: music is not only something that is performed, but something lived.
As they contribute their voices to a worldwide audience, the choir’s mission is captured simply in Holi Fuluvaka’s own motto: “Spreading aloha one note at a time.”