Almost 250 youth from across the United States have been on campus recently for the fourth annual Pacific Rim Children's Chorus Festival, which includes a unique international orientation, an acclaimed director and training at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Jeffrey Cooper, Managing Director of Pacific Rim Music Resources, which has put on the annual event in Laie for the past four years because of the unique confluence of Pacific Rim cultures here, explained the festival brings treble-voice children from grades 5-12 together for an "immersement educational experience." "We come to Laie because the Polynesian Cultural Center is a priceless resource," Cooper said. "It's the combination of this, the wonderful facilities at BYU-Hawaii and the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus that makes this festival unique." "Another unique thing about this festival," Cooper continued, "is it's not a competition. It's all about learning and community." "We intermix the chorus members - who come from as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Indiana and other states - along with about 30 members of the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus from Honolulu. We take them into the Polynesian Cultural Center and divide them among four villages where they study and learn the respective cultures. They make instruments and costumes, and learn music and dances. They get to take their costumes home." Back in the Ballroom, Cooper explained the chorus members "sing authentic, ethnic choral literature from Pacific Rim countries under the artistic direction of Henry H. Leck, the pre-eminent children's choir director who teaches at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is also the founder of the Indiana Children's Chorus, which includes 17 choirs and about 2,000 members. Leck helped found this festival." Cooper added the chorus members learn 14 songs in 11 different languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Samoan, Hawaiian and Maori. "They have to memorize all the music," he said, noting native speakers coach the kids in their pronunciation." For example, Nola A. Nahulu, executive and artistic director of the Hawaii Opera Youth Chorus helped the kids get the Hawaiian pronunciation right. "These are all very talented singers. They already have a great deal of experience, and they have to audition to get in. They sing some pretty challenging music." The Pacific Rim Children's Chorus performed a free concert on Saturday, July 10, in the Cannon Activities Center at 7 p.m. Members of the Kahuku High group, Vocal Motion, under the direction of Beth Kammerer, performed during the concert. The chorus also performed at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.
Almost 250 youth from across the United States have been on campus recently for the fourth annual Pacific Rim Children's Chorus Festival, which includes a unique international orientation, an acclaimed director and training at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Jeffrey Cooper, Managing Director of Pacific Rim Music Resources, which has put on the annual event in Laie for the past four years because of the unique confluence of Pacific Rim cultures here, explained the festival brings treble-voice children from grades 5-12 together for an "immersement educational experience." "We come to Laie because the Polynesian Cultural Center is a priceless resource," Cooper said. "It's the combination of this, the wonderful facilities at BYU-Hawaii and the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus that makes this festival unique." "Another unique thing about this festival," Cooper continued, "is it's not a competition. It's all about learning and community." "We intermix the chorus members - who come from as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Indiana and other states - along with about 30 members of the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus from Honolulu. We take them into the Polynesian Cultural Center and divide them among four villages where they study and learn the respective cultures. They make instruments and costumes, and learn music and dances. They get to take their costumes home." Back in the Ballroom, Cooper explained the chorus members "sing authentic, ethnic choral literature from Pacific Rim countries under the artistic direction of Henry H. Leck, the pre-eminent children's choir director who teaches at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is also the founder of the Indiana Children's Chorus, which includes 17 choirs and about 2,000 members. Leck helped found this festival." Cooper added the chorus members learn 14 songs in 11 different languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Samoan, Hawaiian and Maori. "They have to memorize all the music," he said, noting native speakers coach the kids in their pronunciation." For example, Nola A. Nahulu, executive and artistic director of the Hawaii Opera Youth Chorus helped the kids get the Hawaiian pronunciation right. "These are all very talented singers. They already have a great deal of experience, and they have to audition to get in. They sing some pretty challenging music." The Pacific Rim Children's Chorus performed a free concert on Saturday, July 10, in the Cannon Activities Center at 7 p.m. Members of the Kahuku High group, Vocal Motion, under the direction of Beth Kammerer, performed during the concert. The chorus also performed at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.