For the first time in school history, the Brigham Young University Hawaii Concert Choir took the stage at one of the world's most important and prestigious venues – Carnegie Hall. Long considered a place for the musically elite, Carnegie played host to BYU-Hawaii's premier SATB ensemble as the choir brought a packed New York audience to its feet at the conclusion of their performance of Mozart's Requiem.
The experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the members of the choir," explained the group's director, Dr. Michael Belnap, who joined the university's music department in 2005. Meriting an invitation to perform at Carnegie compliments the "quality and high level of musicianship demonstrated at the university," he added.
The choir's musical reputation and international flavor have opened many doors for the ensemble, both locally and internationally, with performances in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Taiwan, and Singapore. Having worked with Belnap in the past and learning about the choir's successful tour to Japan and Korea in 2004,the organizing company for the Carnegie performance was quite eager to extend BYU-Hawaii an invitation to New York.
Together with five other choral groups who were also invited, the Concert Choir astonished audience members, locals, and fellow performers upon discovering the group's home base was on the North Shore of Hawaii, a distance of roughly 5,000miles (about 10 hours by plane).
"Most of the students from our target area would never have the possibility of seeing Carnegie Hall, let alone performing here," Belnap continued. (This year's choir members represent more than 15 countries, such as Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Korea, French Polynesia, Japan, Malaysia, Tonga, Samoa, and others. According to U.S. News, BYU-Hawaii is the most internationally-diverse campus in the nation per capita with more than 74 countries represented.)
Masada Vuikadavu, a senior from the islands of Fiji, majoring in International Cultural Studies, had never stepped foot on the U.S. mainland.
"I have always loved reading and as a kid I did my traveling through reading about places and people," Vuikadavu said. "But to be able to see the New York City and experience it was just too much. It was beautiful, not to mention the buildings and the architecture. I loved the environment and the multi-cultured society that was there."
Another choir member that took his first steps on the U.S. mainland recognized the melting pot found in the "Big Apple" and drew comparisons between the city and the international blend found in the choir.
"It's like a fruit salad, all the colors from around the world," said Arthur Ah Loo, a freshman from Samoa, majoring in Social Work.
Nearly half of the 60-member choir is bilingual (29). English itself is a second language for nearly one-third of the choir members who also study a wide variety of majors, including international business management, mathematics, vocal studies, history, political science, and more.
In addition to the great honor of performing in Carnegie Hall, the choir had the opportunity to visit several famous sites and American icons, such as Grand Central Station, the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Ground Zero.
The choir also had the rare opportunity to perform at Old Slip Park in lower Manhattan, the site where a statue of Joseph Smith, Jr. has been standing since December of 2005 commemorating the founding prophet's 200th birthday.
Along with the impromptu performances and visits to said cultural sites, the choir had another very special performance planned – a musical fireside in the newly-dedicated Harlem LDS Chapel.
"Performing at Carnegie is such an accomplishment and a great feather to put in the hat of our music department," said Justin Smith, the coordinator for all university performance tours. "But when we did the Harlem fireside with the newly-formed BYU-Hawaii Alumni Chapter of New York, that became my tour highlight."
The LDS Chapel in Harlem was dedicated just months earlier and church attendance in the area has seen tremendous growth in a short amount of time.
"Before the tour, the fireside seemed like just another "appointment" on the itinerary – kind of flew under the radar," said Smith. "That probably why it was so incredible, because it was an unexpected moment on the tour that really struck a chord. Carnegie was commendable. Harlem was the highlight."
Isrin O'Connor, a sophomore from Thailand studying vocal performance, thought the Harlem fireside was one of the greatest musical performances she had ever been a part of.
"I felt so strongly that the spirit was there around us, every where!" she said. "I could feel the Lord's love for us, his children. It was truly uplifting."
Vuikadavu added, "The hustle and bustle of the city was forgotten and the anticipation of singing in Carnegie seemed to fade a bit as we came together as a family in the gospel to share and uplift each others' spirits."
With Harlem and Carnegie now behind them, the Concert Choir will now begin to prepare for their June 2007 tour to China and Mongolia, where they will perform in Beijing, Xian, Urumqi, Tianjin, and Ulaan Bataar.