Kamehameha Schools Song Contest
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| Kamehameha Schools Song Contest | |
|---|---|
| Format | Singing Competition |
| Created by | Kamehameha Schools |
| Starring | Kapalama Campus High School students (grades 9-12) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 88 (as of 14 March 2008) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multicamera setup |
| Running time | 3 hours per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | KHON (?-2006) KGMB (2007) |
| Original run | 1921 – Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
The Kamehameha Schools Song Contest is an annual music competition between the graduating classes of the Kamehameha Schools. The contest is televised live throughout the state of Hawaii on KGMB. It also is webcast live on the school's website and simulcast on the radio statewide (most recently on KUMU (AM)). The most recent competition was the 88th annual Song Contest, held on 14 March 2008.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first song contest (then called the Inter-class Song Competition) was held at the original Kamehameha School for Boys in 1921, in front of the original Bishop Hall. It was started to perpetuate the memory of George A. Andrus, a music teacher at the school. Students in grades 5-9 each sang two songs, one of which had to be in Hawaiian. In 1922, both Kamehameha boys and girls held song contests, with the girls holding their contest separately in front of the assembly hall (located opposite of the current Farrington High School). When the school moved to their current location at Kapalama Heights in 1931, the contests were moved to the newly-built auditorium. The first combined contest took place in 1952 in Kekuhaupi'o, the new fieldhouse. Ever since 1964, the contest has been held at Neal Blaisdell Center (formerly called the Honolulu International Auditorium).
[edit] Purpose
Miss Laura Brown, Director of Music at Kamehameha (1926-1947) stated that "the objective of the song contest are to build up the repertoire of the best in Hawaiian music for the cultural heritage of any student who attends Kamehameha; to develop leadership, cooperation and good class spirit; and to give students the use of their singing voices and to give them pleasure in singing as a means of expression."[citation needed]
[edit] Format
Students at Kamehameha Schools' Kapālama High School participate in Song Contest as a graduation requirement. The current format of Song Contest involves three areas of competition: men, women, and coed. Each grade (9-12) sings a coed piece. Additionally, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors sing individual men's and women's pieces. The men's competition is held first in odd-numbered years, while the women's competition is first in even-numbered years. The coed competition always occurs last. Five judges from around the state judge the competition for language and musical performance. There are two language and two music judges, as well as an overall judge who judges both categories. Both categories are worth 50% of the overall score.
Following the singing competitions, the entire student body sings school-related songs, including Imua Kamehameha (the school fight song), Kamehameha Waltz, and Kamehameha March. The latter two songs alternate each year; in 2008, the March was sung. The hō‘ike, an exhibition of Hawaiian songs and hula, follows. After the hō‘ike, awards for the singing competitions are presented to the classes, and the evening closes with the student body singing Sons of Hawaii, the school's alma mater.
[edit] List of awards
The following awards are presented after the hō‘ike and are based on the judges' scores.[1]
- The Louise Aoe McGregor Award, awarded since 1972, recognizes the student song director who has "made the most significant contribution to the class in organizational ability, leadership, assistance to others, and persistence."
- The Richard Lyman Jr., ʻŌlelo Makuahine Award, awarded since 1989, recognizes the performance that made best use of the Hawaiian language. The award is named after a former Kamehameha Schools trustee who served from 1959 to 1988 and was "keenly interested in the preservation of Hawaiian language and culture."
- The George Alanson Andrus Cup, awarded since 1921, recognizes the best overall men's performance. This award is named after a former music director at Kamehameha, who suggested the idea of a Song Contest.
- The New England Mothers' Cup, awarded since 1922, recognizes the best overall women's performance. This award was donated to Kamehameha by Mrs. E. G. Scoville from Watertown, Connecticut, who heard the Kamehameha girls singing during a visit to the school.
- The Helen Desha Beamer Award, awarded since 1993, recognizes the best musical performance. This award is named after Helen Desha Beamer, a 1900 graduate of the Kamehameha School for Girls who made significant contributions to Hawaiian music. The award was donated by the Kamehameha Alumni Association.
- The Charles E. King Cup, awarded since 1967, is the most coveted award. It recognizes the best overall combined class performance. The award is named after Charles Edward King, an 1891 graduate of the Kamehameha School for Boys.
[edit] 2008 competition
The 2008 Song Contest was entitled "Ola Ka ‘Ōlelo ‘Ōiwi O Ka ‘Āina: Celebrating Hawaiian Language Revitalization" and reflected on the thirtieth anniversary of the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention, at which Hawaiian became one of the two official languages of the state of Hawaii.
[edit] Songs
The 2008 competition featured songs by ten contemporary Hawaiian composers:
- Womens' Competition
- Aloha Ko‘olau by Dennis Kamakahi
- Ka Hīnano O Puna by Kainani Kahaunaele
- Aloha Hawai‘i Ku‘u One Hānau by Frank Hewett
- Mens' Competition
- Ehuehu Mai Nei ‘O Mānoa by Kīhei de Silva
- Kulāiwi by Larry Kimura
- Napo‘ona Mahina by Manu Boyd
- Co-ed Competition
- Pua ‘Ala Aumoe by Jean ‘Ileialoha Beniamina
- Ka Nohona Pili Kai by Keali‘i Reichel and Puakea Nogelmeier
- Ke ‘Ala ‘Ehu Kai O Hāna by Kaumakaiwa Kanaka‘ole
- He ‘Olu by Julian Ako
[edit] Results
| Competition | Class of 2008 | Class of 2009 | Class of 2010 | Class of 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's | 143 | 164 | 184 | N/A |
| Men's | 171 | 194 | 170 | N/A |
| Coed | 177 | 185 | 186 | 153 |
- Louise Aoe McGregor Award: Kahala Rowe (2008 Women), Zachary Lum (2010 Coed)
- Richard Lyman, Jr. Trophy: Class of 2010 Women
- New England Mothers' Cup: Class of 2010 Women
- George Alanson Andrus Cup: Class of 2009 Men
- Helen Desha Beamer Award: Class of 2009 Men
- Charles E. King Cup: Class of 2010
[edit] Trivia
- Song Contest first aired on the radio in 1953, and made its television debut in 1968. The 2000 Song Contest was the first to be webcast live on the internet.
- Before 1935, all classes were required to write their own original songs in Hawaiian. Currently, Song Contest has a theme that changes annually, and student directors from each class choose songs in accordance with the theme.
- The classes were originally divided into two divisions: the junior division for grades 7-9 and the senior division for grades 10-12. The junior division was discontinued in 1955 when grades 7-8 became the Preparatory Department, and the current format involves only grades 9-12.
