FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Zach Mendonsa, left, and Matthew Clemente behind him practice with the choir.
The Honolulu Boy Choir tunes up
for a Christmas concert
at Central Union Church
'Aloha Papa Noble and staff." So begins another rehearsal Monday in the hall of Harris United Methodist Church for The Honolulu Boy Choir. It's a standard greeting the 65 boys, ages 7 to 14, faithfully intone before longtime assistant director Dr. Dale Noble and the rest of the adult staff that watch over the boys with a disciplined eye.
They run through this year's Christmas program of seasonal song, dance and skits one more time, after performing it three times the past two weekends at Pearlridge Shopping Center, Castle High School and Ala Moana Center. But tomorrow is their big public presentation at Central Union Church, so there's always room for improving their delicate-sounding soprano and alto voices.
"Forever Christmas"
The Honolulu Boy Choir with guests Omni and Benjamin Cross6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Central Union Church, 1660 S. Beretania St. Free, but donations accepted
Plus concerts at:
2 to 3 p.m. Dec. 20 at Kahala Mall stage. Free.
8 to 9 p.m. Dec. 25 dinner show at the Monarch Room, Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Reserve at 923-7311.
Call: 596-7464
Note: Auditions for boys ages 7 to 14 to be held Jan. 10 to 14. No experience needed. Call the number above.
Even though the boys are in their regular school attire, and not decked out in their usual uniform of blue and white aloha shirt and white slacks, the training and discipline needed to keep such a large group of boys in line is still evident. The boys were organized in lines outside, from the smallest to the tallest, before they walked into the hall.
Singer counselor "Aunty" Faye Irving, with arms crossed and a stern voice, tells them to get their "shirts tucked, slippers off and stand straight, looking at the person's head in front of you." She tells the stragglers that "if this were a concert and you would be late, you would not sing."
But during the rehearsal, Irving and the rest of the staff give encouraging remarks and supportive prompting for the boys during the hourlong program that presents the season at its most idyllic.
There's also "A Celebrity Christmas" segment that includes an Elvis-inspired "Blue Christmas," a Western-styled "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and, in a curious but amusing turn, 7-1/2-year-old Joshua Abellera doing his mightiest to impersonate Tina Turner playing a character called Suzy Snowflake.
COURTESY OF GEORGE ING
The group at an Ala Moana Center performance.
BEHIND EVERY boy, of course, are his parents, and some of them are at the rehearsal, watching with a mix of pride and expectation. Two of them are Steven and Karen Lugo, whose 9-year-old son Alex has been with the choir since he was 7.
Lugo also became the boy choir's new executive director in July, and with the choir set to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, he and the staff have set about renewing the choir's mission as "Hawaii's Ambassadors of Music and Culture."
"We noticed that Alex has an enhanced appreciation for music now," Karen said. "He's now creating music on his own at home. He's learned a lot of discipline in the choir, and what is appropriate social behavior."
"We're making it a point to promote peerage, friendships among the boys," Lugo said. "We've noticed that the more successful of the boys have at least one buddy in the choir. That way, they can help and encourage each other."
The older boys are also expected to take charge and look after the young ones. Thirteen-year-old Garrett Goo has been a leader at the choir's North Shore camp, and he carries himself with the cool confidence only a teenager could muster.
The Kawananakoa Middle Schooler told his mother 5-1/2 years ago that he wanted to try out for the choir after he saw an audition flyer at school. He said he was glad he was accepted because "they saw the potential that I had. I know there's always room for improvement, but I'm way more confident about myself.
"Being in the choir also helps builds social skills, like when we perform at retirement homes, and go out into the audience and shake hands with the old people.
"And when I grow up, I'll be the singing science teacher," he proudly added. "And you'll write legendary songs," chimed in 7-year-old Zach Mendonsa of Wilson Elementary, whose small group of golden achievement stars on his name tag shows him to be an especially promising choir member.
Zach got in partly due to his dad, "who works with this guy whose son is in the choir ... it feels good to sing in public, even though some of my friends tell me that the motions I do when I perform look funny."
The two of them and fellow choir members 13-year-old Justin Wong of Maryknoll (whose older brother just graduated from the choir) and 11-year-old Zack Oyafuso of Stevenson Intermediate School (also a student of Diamond Head Theatre's Shooting Stars class) have also performed outside of the choir. They were in the cast of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" that was presented through the auspices of HEARTS, Hawaii Education of the ARTS, and directed by the choir's pianist, Pamela DeBorg.
CHOIR DIRECTOR Ka'imi Pelekai is also an alumnus of The Honolulu Boy Choir. The Kamehameha Schools graduate has grown up to be a fireman, and Pelekai admits that the choir "is a big labor of love" for him.
"I'm trying to create the same kind of experience I had when I was in the choir from 1986 to '89," he said. "We're continuing to build the program, and we're still thriving. But we need to get back and promote music education, and also build camaraderie among the boys through group activities.
"We also might do more school visitations," Pelekai said. "We've recruited boys through different means -- a third through flyers distributed at schools, a third through friends and families, and a third when they see us perform in public.
"Not only do we strive for professionalism in the choir, but we also want the boys to grow in self-esteem and confidence."
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