Sounds of Aloha's blog

The Sounds of Aloha Chorus has had a very successful run over the years of sold-old cabaret dinners, where our audiences have been as enthusiastic about the quality of the food as the quality of the entertainment! Our latest cabaret broke new ground as the first we have held during the holiday season: a "Friendsgiving" evening on December 2, 2023 at St. Pius X Church in Mānoa. And based on the feedback we got, we maintained our successful streak!

What a fun evening the Sounds of Aloha had as guest performers in the Hawaii Pacific University International Vocal Ensemble's spring concert on March 31, 2023! Dubbed "Laugh Tracks," the whole concert featured humorous songs. Our chorus and quartets drew on the comic repertoire for which barbershop groups are known, and the HPU choir showcased a variety of humorous music of different styles, including an absolutely delightful and beautiful original choral composition by director Dr. Alec Schumacher using as lyrics some funny things his very young daughter has said. The evening concluded with a joint performance of "The Best of All Possible Worlds" from the musical "Candide," with a solo by our new Musical Director, Bryce Irvine.

Song and romance were in the Oahu air again for 2023's round of Sounds of Aloha Hawaii Singing Valentines! This is always such fun for our singers as well as our recipients and customers. Plenty of laughter, smiles, tears, cheers, and blushing, as usual. This year, quartets were available from February 11 through 14 to deliver two love songs, a rose, and a card with the sender’s message to his or her sweetheart. As always, the experience was as affordable as it was memorable!

One very special delivery was to Gloria Drayton, whose husband, SOA member Hank Drayton, led our Singing Valentines program for many years -- always with a big assist from Gloria. It was about time she received one herself!

An octet from the Sounds of Aloha Chorus performed the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "Hawai'i Pono'i" at a special Veterans Day sunset ceremony onboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor, an event that concluded Veterans Day observances across the nation. The ceremony featured a special tribute to “Celebrate the 160th Anniversary of the Medal of Honor, and Legacy of an American Hero and Statesman, Daniel K.

For quite a few years the Sounds of Aloha proudly provided music for the annual Mayor's Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Pūowaina (Punchbowl). The COVID pandemic interrupted that tradition for the past two years, and we resorted to a virtual tribute. But we were pleased this year that the event was back on!