Joan Parker saw a tiny ad in the newspaper 25 years ago. It was an invitation for interested singers to join a community chorus. Curious and intrigued by the prospect of choral singing, Parker, along with 50 other individuals, showed up for the chorus rehearsal in the late fall of 1990. A few short months later under the direction of Ken Staton, the newly formed Kona Community Chorus performed their first winter concert at Central Kona Union Church. That December marked the beginning of a long-standing choral tradition for the Kona community, a yearly holiday concert of beloved classical music.
Once again, the now Kona Choral Society will welcome in the holiday season with live choral performances of world-renowned classical masterpieces. Celebrating their 25th anniversary the chorus will present a three-part memorial concert series. The first holiday performance will be the Schubert Mass in G and Handel’s Messiah concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Kaleiopapa Convention Center at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay.
“We will be honoring KCS through our commemorative schedule by reflecting on the past and staying true to our representative season,” Kona Choral Society’s acclaimed artistic director Susan McCreary Duprey explained about the repertoire’s resemblance to the first program. “We will partly copy the original performance by performing Franz Schubert’s ‘Mass in G’.”
The famed mass composition, composed by Schubert in 1815, is what Duprey described as a late-classical, early romantic period piece. The delicate, lovely music paired with a string orchestra represents Schubert beautifully. A standard in any choral repertoire, Duprey explained, it is a “piece that sings itself.”
Following the six-movement piece, Parker and fellow original chorus members Alice Daniel and Shirley McCoy, together with 80 singers will fill the second half of the program with the beloved and powerful Part I of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” This will include the annual favorite “Hallelujah” chorus – a movement that has easily become Kona Choral Society’s signature overture.
“For me all together it is a privilege to sing works by Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Verdi and Faure,” said Daniel, an alto, who explained that having the chance to perform these compositions at venues from Waimea to Prague has been a highlight of her 25-year stretch with the chorus.
More so than ever before, the growing choral group – which has seen a recent 20-member spike in participation over the last six months, bringing their total membership to 90 vocalists – will lift their voices up in song to usher in the festive time of year, resonating a commanding sound of intricate harmonies and melodies.
“We made beautiful music in 1990 and we are still doing it in 2014,” said McCoy, an alto. “We have come a long way with the repertoire that we now sing. We have many members who are dedicated and give their time to help the organization move along. We work diligently to fine tune our craft and we enjoy the celebration at the end of our hard work.”
Duprey, who has been conducting the chorus since 2010, described her volunteer vocalists abilities, detailing their “wonderful balance of voices.” She continued saying that the early December concert will furthermore highlight the island’s orchestral talent. A 15-member orchestra, composed of well-known island instrumentalists, was logistically assembled with instruments including an organ, violins, violas, cellos, bass, trumpets, and timpani – best suited for the accompaniment of both classical masterworks.
In addition, there will be several featured soloists throughout the show. Amy Mills, soprano, Bernaldo Evangelista, tenor, and Keane Ishii, bass will each have an unaccompanied performance in both the Schubert and Handel pieces. The Schubert performance will also spotlight bass soloist Guy Hebert, while Parker, alto, Mira Alexander, alto, and Sierra Spruce, soprano will be highlighted in Handel’s “Messiah.”
The recent rebranding of the organization and the expansion of the organization’s membership has followed a natural evolution, advancement, and transformation of the Kona Choral Society, all while maintaining a continued commitment to the art of live choral music.
“I feel a sense of pride and adulation to be part of an organization that has lasted this long,” said McCoy. “It has not been an easy 25 years, as an organization we have endured all the bumps, curves and detours along the way. This has made our choral group a very strong and dependable group of people who are sincere with our goal and mission, which is to enjoy making music and sharing with the Kona community.”
Tickets will be available for purchase at the door, via the Kona Choral Society website at konachoralsociety.org, or by calling at 334-9880. This is an open seating event and doors open at 3:30 p.m. for the 4 p.m. show.