Waimea Community Chorus to Perform 26th Christmas Concert

Waimea Community Chorus. Photo courtesy of Kahilu Theatre.

The Waimea Community Chorus (WCC) will perform their 26th Annual Christmas Concert at Kahilu Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m.

Under the direction of Barbara Kopra, this year’s concert will feature a major work arranged by acclaimed composer and pianist Mark Hayes, The International Carol Suites I-V, which debuted at Carnegie Hall in November 2017.

The International Carol Suites is a five-part performance representing 20 countries worldwide. Each section individually represents the regions of Europe, Eastern Europe, British Isles, South America and North America. The movements contain familiar and lesser-known carols drawn from the holiday traditions of their respective regions.

“It is a pleasure to present this new, substantial tribute to the repertoire of carols,” says Kopra, who has worked with Hayes personally for two choral clinics on Hawai‘i Island in March 2016 and again in February 2018.

In addition to the Suites, the more than 70 singers and 20 musicians will invite the audience to join in singing Christmas classics like It’s Beginning to look a Lot Like Christmas, We need a Little Christmas and Silver Bells. The performance will end with a rendition of the Hawaiian song Po La’i E , also known as Silent Night.

Tickets for the Dec. 8 and 9 performances are $25, $20 and $15, and can be purchased online at www.kahilutheatre.org, by calling (808) 885-6868, or in person at the Kahilu Theatre Box Office located at 67-1186 Lindsey Road in Waimea.