A Musical Journey: From New England to Honolulu

The EMH Chamber Singers star in an exciting new venture, presenting the fascinating works of the early American singing schools alongside some of the earliest surviving compositions of Hawaiian hīmeni and mele. American composer William Billings (1746–1800) and his contemporaries firmly established a uniquely American style. Through the subsequent journeys of New England missionaries to Hawai‘i and in collaboration with the aliʻi, this music was reinvented in a new cultural context with Hawaiian harmonizations and in the cadence of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Join us as we explore the history and beauty of this remarkable repertoire, connecting our island community’s past with the present.