Tag Archive | gratitude

Holiday joy

Na Leo Lani enjoyed a busy 2024 holiday season, with performances all around the island, from the windward to the leeward side and places in between. We had a blast entertaining audiences at the Hawai’i Kai Public Library and Pohai Nani, hamming it up with Sounds of Aloha and Honolulu Blend Show Chorus at the Palikū Theatre, and of course, performing at our own Christmas concert at Harris United Methodist Church.

Mahalo nui loa to our Sing with Us for the Holidays “SWUFTH” program participants — we loved singing with you and hope you stick around or come back for our next short-term session! — and many thanks to Harris United Methodist Church for allowing us to sing in your beautiful sanctuary. Thanks as well to Sounds of Aloha — your shows are always a hoot! — and most of all to our members whose heartfelt participation made our holiday season such a joy.

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou, and may 2025 bring peace to the world, one chord at a time.

Onstage for “Santa’s Hawaiian Workshop”, with sibling barbershop choruses Sounds of Aloha and Honolulu Blend Show Chorus

Na Leo Lani singing a Christmas favorite, “Wrap Your Gift” (with fingers agile, fa la la!)

Three Wise Directors following one bright star —! Stephanie Brictson, Director of HBSC, Bryce Irvine, Director of Sounds of Aloha, and Christine Wee, Director of Na Leo Lani

Harmony is heavenly at the Hawai`i Kai Public Library

Quartetting it up with Jingle Bells

Party time

May19

After all the intensity and excitement of our Region 12 competition last month, what fun it was to decompress and enjoy each other’s company over a great meal. In addition to watching the webcast of the Region 12 performances, our spring celebration marked the installation of our 2024-25 Board of Directors and honored our Music Team and Director. Thank you so much, each and every one of you, for all you do in keeping Na Leo Lani running!

And thanks to Rosie for the fabulously fun and lighthearted headwear. Busy mice sound twice as nice when we squeak in harmony!

Many thanks to our stalwart BOD, Nora, Pam, Anna and Deb!

Mahalo nui loa to the Music Team! L to R: Chris, Anna, Carole, Rosie and JoAnne (missing Arlette, Summer and Eimi)

We did it!

May12

After months of rehearsals and many challenges along the way, we sailed through our competition recording yesterday with full-throated joy. What a journey it has been!

Thank you so much to our director, Christine Wee; to the Region 12 recording team of Mary Mamer, Donna Prochazka, Randy Sahae, and Joanna Davis, who flew all the way out to Hawai’i for a quick, 48-hour whirlwind of lights, camera, and action; to the men of Sounds of Aloha who volunteered hours of their day to assist with the event; and to our Vice-President, Kristi Dagdagan, who organized an elegant and bounteous Afterglow. Each of you was masterful in your attention to detail, planning, and performance. Our kids, too, rose to the occasion, tirelessly putting in hours of work to set up and clean up the party. The delicious food and beautiful setting of the Afterglow made for the perfect ending to our 2022 contest experience.

Most of all, thank you to our amazing chorus members, who stayed together through two and half long years of Zoom rehearsals, masked rehearsals, and rehearsals in unusual and less than ideal settings. As the lyrics of one of our contest songs goes, “There is a feeling deep in my heart . . . It’s a feeling heavenly!” Uniting in harmony truly is heavenly. Thanks, ladies, for making it happen.