‘Starry, Starry’ Choir Night In The Forecast

By Madeline Ziecker

Na Leo Lani O Maui Community Choir courtesy photo.

Na Leo Lani O Maui Community Choir will give a special holiday performance, “Starry, Starry Night,” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 17 at the Historic Iao Theater.

Na Leo O Maui has been gracing Maui’s stages for five years and has grown to a choir of 85 singers from ages 20-85, most of whom have participated in the choir since its inception.

Each year the choir performs a sell-out Christmas concert for  the Maui community. This year’s concert will include holiday favorites sung in both English and Hawaiian, some arranged by Gale Wisehart, who is also directing the choir.

Accompanying the voices will be violinist Judy Waters, pedal harpist Kristine Snyder, upright bassist Jason Sadang, and Kana’ina Raymond on chimes.

Recording artist Lei’ohu Ryder will be featured as a special guest singer with the choir.

Rezner Chavez and Kaulike Pescaia, 11 and 12 year old boys, will also be featured as sopranos in one of Wisehart’s arrangements this year.

Na Leo Lani O Maui directors Gale Wisehart and Uluwehi Guerrero met in Maui five years ago at a Christmas party. After discussing their shared love for choral music and Hawaiian culture, the two men decided to combine their musical experience and interests to create a community choir.

“I had never had any formal musical training,” says Guerrero, who also has a successful Hawaiian music career of his own outside of Na Leo Lani O Maui.

“I sing from the heart and call upon the songs and musical traditions of my family and ancestors that were passed down to me. Gale gives the heart of the Hawaiian music we practice its structure, as he’s had extensive training in choral music and arranging.”

Guerrero describes Na Leo Lani O Maui as a bridge of different cultures uniting to understand and share Hawaiian language and culture through music.

“If you spend time learning a language, especially through music, you automatically begin to conceive of and show respect for the language’s culture. We want to be an outreach for members of the community to learn about Hawaiian culture. When Na Leo Lani O Maui sing, you can really see a reflection of their respect for Hawaiian language and tradition.”

During choral rehearsals, Pono Fried comes in to assist members in pronunciation, meaning, and language structure of Hawaiian so that they can fully connect to the music that they are singing.

Wisehart says that he is particularly excited about the upcoming Christmas show because it is a chance to showcase the choir’s progress and to give back to the community.

“We are a diverse and wonderful family and this show is really a gift of love.”

Na Leo Lani O Maui meets every Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Ka’ahumanu church in Wailuku. Members of the community are welcome to come and observe rehearsals respectfully.

Ticket’s for “Starry, Starry Night” are $20 and will be for assigned seating at Iao Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. Additional ticket information can be reached by calling Richard Castro at 280-8557.

Proceeds from the event will go to Ka’ahumanu Church.