LIHUE — Island School’s three choral ensembles, together comprising the Island School Chorus, take the stage at the Kauai Marriott Resort’s Kauai Ballroom to present the 11th annual winter concert at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“Hot Hot Christmas” showcases over 110 Island School students in grades four to 12 performing a range of Christmas music, designed to delight and entertain an audience of all ages and musical tastes.
“I’m so excited about this upcoming concert,” said Philip Steinbacher, choral director and Island School Fine Arts Department head. “Out with winter, out with snow and ice, and out with the cold! We live in Hawaii so why not celebrate the warmth and the sun? And the heated rhythms they inspire? This concert showcases Christmas music, of course, but the songs were selected because of their exciting musical sizzle or the hot locations from which they originate.”
He said the concert has few traditional Christmas songs but rather centers on unusual songs with strong, driving rhythms. The concert also features the use of percussion, so even though slower, more melodic pieces are still included in the performance, the overall concert is rhythmic, high-energy and upbeat.
“Hot Hot Christmas” includes pieces from Spain, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Columbia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia, Montserrat and Catalan, as well as North America.
“Students in these ensembles have been preparing diligently for this performance since August, and the music represents some pretty compelling, unusual and challenging repertoire,” Steinbacher said. “It’s key to remember that a primary objective in selecting music for student singers is assuring that they aren’t just memorizing songs. They’re learning about music and about culture. That means carefully programming a concert with pieces that provide students with something viable to learn about music and have high audience appeal. I think we’ve done it!”
“Hot Hot Christmas” is accompanied by Rose Alfiler-Taboniar with percussion by Cary Valentine.
Tickets, $12 adults and $5 youth, are only available at bit.ly/2RNUgcB and, if space permits, at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club Kauai Ballroom on Tuesday.
