The Brigham Young University–Hawaii Concert Choir presented Na Leo ‘O Aloha - Music of the Islands, to audiences in New Zealand and Australia during a fourteen-day international tour, June 10-24, 2013. Under the direction of creative director Michael Belnap, the choir performed songs native to Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, and Indonesia.
BYU–Hawaii has an enrollment of 2,750 students who come from more than 75 countries, with the majority from the Pacific Rim, which includes the South Pacific, Australia, Asia and the Philippines. The university is the most internationally diverse baccalaureate institution in the United States with approximately 50 percent of its students from outside of the U.S.
The 45-student choir began the tour traveling from Oahu to New Zealand. The choir had been preparing for more than 12 months to share a special message of love and unity through music, service and the spoken word, specifically designed for audiences in the areas visited.
During the New Zealand leg, the choir visited Hamilton, Auckland, and the capital city of Wellington, performing in theatres, cathedrals, chapels, schools, museums, and even on TVNZ’s Good Morning, one of the nation’s highest rated and viewed television programs.
Cultural Welcome: The BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir was formally welcomed at maraes in Auckland (at AUT University) and Porirua. A marae is a communal or sacred place that serves both religious and sacred purposes in Polynesian societies.
The main performance in Auckland was at the majestic Auckland Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The impressive windows of the cathedral are the largest expanse of stained glass in the southern hemisphere and created a unique ambience for the hundreds of guests at the BYU–Hawaii performance. Dozens of invited guests also attended a pre-event function hosted by LDS Church leaders and BYU–Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright and his wife Margaret.
“The Holy Trinity Cathedral was unlike anything I could have expected,” said Abby Brammer, a senior studying English. “We were welcomed with open arms and were blessed to sing in such a beautiful venue. One of the many goals of this tour was to reach out to everyone – to share the power of unity – and that was achieved when we performed in that cathedral; we built bridges through singing and it was amazing.”
Sunday, June 16, the choir joined with approximately 700 young adults at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Redoubt Road, Manukau stake center for a special fireside. Elder F. Michael Watson, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, along with President Wheelwright addressed the group on the importance of reaching ones potential – specifically through education.
After their final performance in Auckland, the choir boarded the Church College of New Zealand bus and drove nearly 400 miles (644 km) through the picturesque landscape of New Zealand’s north island, including a number of iconic Lords of the Rings film locations, en route to the nation’s capital of Wellington.
The group was honored to be invited to perform at the marae of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa as part of the the Maori New Year, or Matariki, celebration.
The final performance in New Zealand took place at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua (just outside of Wellington. This performance in particular was “very personal” for Aria Een, a junior studying Music and member of the choir. “We were able to communicate with the audience in a special way, and mingle before and after the performance,” said Een. “Some of the older Maori attendees in the first couple rows started to sing back to us, thanking us for honoring [them] with our voices. Before we left on tour we were a little nervous about the pronunciation of some words in the Maori songs, and we worked to make sure we were saying the words properly. It was such a comfort to perform and get that validation of our effort and our offering.”
While in Wellington, the BYU–Hawaii group was invited as special guests to the U.S. Embassy and met with David Huebner, U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and the Independent State of Samoa. Ambassador Huebner also attended both of the Concert Choir’s performances in the Wellington area and included a write up about the tour on his website.
Read more: http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/byu_choir.html
“Tours such as the choir’s current visit reinforce and deepen the people-to-people connections that are – and always have been – the foundation of the warm, strong relationship between our two countries,” he said.
Discovering the Aussie Outback
With the New Zealand leg complete, the Concert Choir hopped across the Tasman Sea to Brisbane, Australia, on June 19 to begin the second part of the tour that included several more performances, visits to schools, and opportunities to meet and make new friends.
One of the first items on the itinerary was a pair of visits to Beenleigh High School, a local secondary school, and Griffith University where they presented and participated in music workshops with youth and young adults.
As part of a regional effort to build relationships with other faith-based organizations, the choir participated in a multi-faith music event at the Multi-Faith Centre at Griffith University in Brisbane. Brian Adams, director of the Centre and member of the Brisbane Ward, Brisbane Australia Stake, organized the event that included performances from The Sufi Percussion Group, Vietnamese Buddhist Vocal Singers, Hare Krishna, the Griffith Pacifika Association, and others. The BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir was the final act and even joined with the Griffith Pacifika Association for a joint performance.
As a fitting finale to the major public performances, the Concert Choir had the privilege of performing their final two shows in the historic, newly reopened Brisbane City Hall. Famously known for its 4,600-pipe organ and revamped LED domed ceiling, Brisbane City Hall has been the backdrop to many cultural, political and social occasions since 1930. The choir’s June 22 finale was capped by a double encore and two standing ovations, led by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, who attended with his wife Anne.
BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir performs at the prestigious Brisbane City Hall on June 22 as part of their two-week tour to New Zealand and Australia.
The final gathering in Brisbane was a multi-stake Young Single Adult fireside, attended by more than 800 people. Elder Keith P. Walker, Area Seventy in the LDS Church’s Pacific Area, attended with his wife Marilyn and was impressed with the immediate impact the tour had on the people of Brisbane.
"We enjoyed the choir's performance on Saturday, and the multi-stake YSA Fireside on Sunday night was a spiritual highlight for all those in attendance," said Elder Walker. "I spoke to an investigator after the meeting who was at the fireside who had felt the spirit that evening and confirmed that she was to be baptized in the next couple of weeks. I am sure there are many others who were also touched by the spirit that they felt as they attended performances put on by the choir during their visit to Brisbane."
In addition to performing, the Concert Choir took some time to sightsee and learn about the local culture. “Traveling through Queensland, Australia, was incredible,” said Michael Gulden, a senior studying Graphic Design and Concert Choir member. “We had some free time at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where we held koalas and could feed kangaroos. We also attended the Australian Outback Spectacular dinner show. As much as we loved performing, getting to explore Australia and learn about the origin of the country was awesome.”
While all major performances were free to the public, organizers joined forces to raise money for local charities such as Autism New Zealand, De Paul House, and the Australian Red Cross. More than $4,500 (U.S.) was raised and donated to these charities throughout the tour.
All together, the choir entertained and uplifted the spirits of more than 9,000 people at scheduled performances, concerts and firesides and workshops – and countless others through impromptu appearances at airports, restaurants, universities, and malls – during the tour.
BYU–Hawaii students Jared Kahaiali’i, Taylor Taniuchi and Paul Tovey delight the audience with fancy dance moves to Minoi, minoi.