Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, December 8, 2016 9 Nigeria, across the United States and England,” she says. “So we wanted to do something to reflect how the whole world comes together in our choral program.” The playlist covers everything from classical Christmas songs to pop tunes. In the “Song of Peace,” you’ll hear all of the 12 languages represented in the UH-Hilo choral program. “We think of a lot of these songs as ‘Christmas songs’ but they come from all different parts of the world,” Horst says. “It’s a wonderful afternoon. Bring the grandparents and kids. We have a singalong portion for the audience so they feel like they’re part of the chorus backed by the orchestra. “And you’ll get the chance to hear Christmas carols we all know and love performed beautifully. You’ll also hear songs you might not otherwise hear — that aren’t as popular for Christmas — but they’re quite lovely anyway.” The Orchid Isle Orchestra, led by conductor and artistic director Cathy Young, will back the choir in nine songs. “This is the third year we are doing this event, and the audience obviously enjoys hearing the music they’ve grown up with,” Young says. “We play some challenging music in our orchestra concerts so it’s nice to play music where my students and members of the community can relax a bit more and enjoy the spirit of the season.” Nineteen members of the Orchid isle Orchestra will play for the “Holiday Card to Hilo” concert, Young says. Young says the orchestra, founded in 2006, fills a need for students and community string players who want a place to play their music. “I’m playing concertmaster for all but the two movements from Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria,’ when I will conduct and Glenda Johnson will fill in,” Young said. “During the ‘Vivaldi’ Laudamus te’ movement, sopranos Amy Horst and Rachel Edwards sing a beautiful duet. Walter Greenwood, our assistant conductor, will conduct an orchestra-only arrangement of ‘Silent Night’ with a couple of other ‘night music’ motifs woven in. He will also conduct the Kapili Choir and Orchid Isle Orchestra in ‘Still, Still, Still.’” Other featured players include Armando Mendoza on trumpet, Merry Kay Kiyan on oboe and Chelsea Pacheco, percussion. Additionally, two cellists from the orchestra, Meg Saunders and Hilo High School sophomore Ina Klasner, along with Greenwood, will accompany the UH-Hilo Kapili Choir in, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” Then, there’s Rodney Wong’s arrangement — an orchestra version of “Feliz Navidad” — and Greenwood’s transposition of a “Holiday Sing-Along.” Young herself also arranged a piano-choral version of “The First Noel/ Pachelbel Canon.” “Amy (Horst) always puts on a great show and makes everyone feel welcome,” Young says. “She really wants it to be about something fun for the whole family. “ Horst says the community has really embraced “Holiday Card to Hilo” concerts during the past decade. “All the groups involved truly appreciate the opportunity to perform our music for the community every year,” she said. This will be the first time VOICES, a year-old ensemble founded by UH-Hilo voice instructor Mark Sheffield, will participate in the concert. “We currently have 11 singers who have joined the group by invitation, and we do mostly a cappella singing,” says Sheffield, who also runs a private voice studio. VOICES will “add a different color to the event,” he says of the three pieces the ensemble will perform. “I started this group to stretch the musicianship of my students to a new level and push the musical ‘envelope’ of my singers to grow their professionalism,” Sheffield says. “We do really challenging but exciting and beautiful music.” VOICES will perform a Latin Christmas carol, “O Magnum Mysterium,” a piece Sheffield says is quickly becoming a classic, and an arrangement of “Away in a Manger.” For their third piece, VOICES will do an old European carol — an arrangement of “Ding Dong Merrily on High” — that has been sitting in Sheffield’s files since 1994, but he has never performed. “This is the most challenging arrangement,” he says. “I fell in love with this piece immediately when it was sent to me back in the ’90s. But I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ So few groups have even tried it. It’s exciting, but boy, is it hard! I’ve been waiting over 20 years to attempt it.” Sheffield finally thinks he has the caliber of singers he needs to attempt it. “We all speak the same vocal language and we understand each other,” he says. “We can weather challenging music and make it work. The audience can look forward to beauty, excitement and maybe a few surprises.” CONCERT From page 7 HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald Amy Horst, conductor and director for the UH-Hilo choral program and Kapili Choir leads a rehearsal for the UH-Hilo “Holiday Card to Hilo” Christmas concert.
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