“Hallelujah,” the Kaua‘i Chorale live Christmas concerts return after a COVID-19-imposed hiatus, said Artistic Director S. Morris Wise, accompanist Rose Alfiler, the 40 singers and a community ready for live choral music.
The concerts, “There’s No Business Like Snow Business,” are this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10 and 11, at the Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center in Puhi.
Tickets are available from members, at kauaichorale.org, by calling Kay Koike at 808-337-1882, and may be available at the door. There are no retail ticket outlets for these shows. The Saturday concert is at 7 p.m., and the Sunday show starts at 2 p.m.
During the group’s last regular rehearsal on Monday at the Lihu‘e Parish Hall on the campus of Lihu‘e United Church, Wise talked about the repertoire, accompanist and group.
“The music is all about snow, for the most part, the snowy time of year both the nostalgic and also sacred, and also funny. What goes through my mind is I’m trying to create a theme of what that concert is about, so that we can pull the audience along with us and they can join us on a journey,” he said of his thoughts when formulating a concert lineup.
“And so this journey is a journey through different kinds of winter snow.”
Several pieces from the G.F. Handel classic “Messiah,” including the “Hallelujah Chorus,” will be performed, as well as a suite of Irving Berlin Christmas classics, a couple of irreverent, surprise pieces to kick off the shows, and much more.
He had some complimentary words to say about the rehearsal and concert accompanist, Kapa‘a’s Alfiler.
“Rosie Alfiler is our fabulous accompanist. I love her so much because she can read my mind, which is a rare talent. We could not do the chorale without Rosie. She comes to rehearsals and plays for our shows and she’s a first-rate musician, and we are very lucky to have her,” he said.
He also discussed his motivation for continuing to lead the group.
“I do this because I love people and I love music, and I love making music with people, especially those who become your friends, and I love creating an atmosphere of music together, so each concert that we do is different and the chorale gets to join each time they come together on a new and different journey both in sound and in song,” he said.
While he hasn’t finalized the lineup for the spring concerts, he gave a hint of the direction he is contemplating: “It’s likely to be ‘Great Choruses.’”
Rehearsals are held each Monday, currently at the Lihu‘e Parish Hall. Rehearsals for the spring concerts will begin in January.
Finally, he spoke of Kaua‘i Chorale the entity.
“The Kaua‘i Chorale is an organization that is a community choir. We are a non-audition organization, meaning that anyone who wants to sing can join us. And our mission as I see it is not only to bring great music to the people of Kaua‘i, but also to give people who love to sing a place where they feel at home and have friends and can do so, and also where they can learn and grow and get better at both reading music and singing together with others,” he said of the nonprofit volunteer group that has been active on the island for decades under several different directors.
