Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 1, 1 January 2002 — Spirit renewed through Hawaiian choral music [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Spirit renewed through Hawaiian choral music

By Manu Boyd For more than 25 years, Nola Nāhulu has dedicated her life to music, and to fortifying the spirit. As artisitic director of Kawaiolaonānūkanileo. choir director at

Kawaiaha'o Church, choral director of the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club and music instructor at the

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and the University Lab School, Nāhulu is committed to musical excellence. As if spare time was an abundant commodity, she, along with sister, Dr. Linda Nāhulu, own Bete īne., the Honolulu-based mu'umu'u business they bought years ago. "ī had a strong general music teacher at Wai'anae Elementary. Mrs. Keaka really made us feel good about singing. My parents also supported

music and allowed me to take piano. My father's family, the Nāhulus and the Guerreros, were especially into music," Nāhulu explained. "Mrs. Keaka was very influential in my development." At Kamehameha, Nāhulu continued piano, and

sang in the glee club. She majored in psychology and earned a teaching certificate at Whitman College, and then focused on music and art history in one year of post-graduate work in Utah. She completed a Master's degree in music education with an emphasis in choral music. "ī'm

lucky because ī have been able to teach choral music ever since graduating," she said. īn 1977, university music instructor Dorothy Kahananui Gillett contacted Nāhulu to take charge of the Pearl Harbor \ Hawaiian Civic Club choral group. That B began her long association with the 'aha

mele choral singning competition at the annual convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. On Jan. 6, (see calendar above), Nāhulu and Kawaiolaonāpūkanileo pay tribute to the 'aha mele by performing selections See CHORAL on page 13

Hanana Kūikawā

Nola Nōhulu, left, einel Keiweiioleionāpukeinileo

CHORAL from page 8 from their competition pieces over the years, ackowledging the annual event as important in the perpetuation of Hawaiian choral singing. "Hawaiian language and poetry are what set Hawaiian choral music from other types," said Nāhulu. "Hawaiian is very singable. Some arrangers are able to arrange music to really reflect the poetry. Dorothy Gillett's lHe Wahine Hololio' is a good example. You ean actually feel and see Queen Emma riding on horseback up in Nu'uanu. Others arrange in a very basic straight forward way, and that's great. They are very attainable," she said. "For years, I have attended national choral conventions, and over the past decade, I've attended intemational ones, too. Mostof the world, including America, has no elue that Hawai'i has a rich choral music tradition. Because of that, I had an idea to create an ensemble to perpetuate choral singing. In order to aeeomplish the level I wanted, I needed musicians. "The first pieee we learned was not Hawaiian. It was a sacred pieee by Giovannie Palestrina called liSicut Cervus" whieh talks about being spiritually dry, and coming to the Lord for renewal. Water is used as the metaphor for renewal. When Aaron Mahi (Royal Hawaiian Band master) gave us our name referencing the living water (ka wai ola), he didn't know that we had just started with that sacred pieee." Kawaiolaonāpūkanileo comprises 16 members, but their sound is like 100 voices. Plans on the horizon include a possible recording. Performances throughout the year are announced through fliers and public service announcements. Keep your eyes and ears open for the opportunity to witness a most refined and outstanding Hawaiian choral ensemble. ■