Kamehameha Schools Song Contest

Kamehameha Schools Song Contest
General
Format Singing competition
Host Kamehameha Schools
Venue Neal Blaisdell Center
Participants Kamehameha Schools Kapālama High School Students
Kamehameha Song Contest 2016
Date March 18, 2016 (96th)
Theme "ʻO Hawaiʻi Kuʻu Kulāiwi: Songs of my Beloved Homeland"

The Kamehameha Schools Song Contest is an annual choral music competition between the grades 9-12 graduating classes of the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus. The contest is televised live throughout the state of Hawaii on KGMB. It is also webcast live on the school's website and has previously been simulcast on the radio statewide, most recently on KUMU. The 96th competition will be held on Friday March 18, 2016.[1]

History

Program from the first song contest of the School for Boys, on May 26, 1921
Program from the first song contest of the School for Boys, on May 26, 1921

The first Song Contest (then called the Inter-class Sing Competition) was held on May 26, 1921 at the original Kamehameha School for Boys. It was started to perpetuate the memory of George Alanson Andrus, a music teacher at the School.[2] Each class from grades 5-9 presented four Hawaiian songs: an original song (up until 1935), a choice song selected by the class, a prize song selected by the music department of the school (up until 1972), and the school song. Each class also selected a song leader to direct the class in rehearsal and performance.[3]

One year after the Boys in 1922, the Kamehameha School for Girls held its inaugural Song Contest on the steps of the Main Hall of the Girls’ School (located opposite of the current Farrington High School), while the Boys' contest was held on the steps of Bishop Museum.[4] When Kamehameha moved to its current location at Kapālama Heights in 1931, the contests were moved to the newly built auditorium. The first combined contest took place in 1952 in Kekūhaupiʻo, the new fieldhouse.[5] In 1964, the contest was moved to the Neal Blaisdell Center (formerly the Honolulu International Auditorium), and it continues to be held there today. In 1966, the ʻike, an exhibition of Hawaiian music and hula performed by students, was added to the program while the judges' scores were being tallied.

Beginning in 1953, Song Contest has been simulcast on the radio statewide; the Contest made its television debut in 1968. Beginning in 2000, Song Contest has also been webcast live on the school's website. Kamehameha Schools briefly sold audio of the performances on iTunes and DVDs of the entire program from 2007 to 2010.

Purpose

Miss Laura Brown, Director of Music at Kamehameha 1926–1947, stated that "the objectives 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."[6] Participation in Song Contest is a graduation requirement for all students at Kamehameha Schools' Kapālama High School.

Format

The current format of Song Contest involves three areas of a cappella choral competition: men, women, and coeducational. 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 (e.g., 2009), while the women's competition is first in even-numbered years. The coed competition always occurs last. Five prominent community members 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 a class' overall score; scores are used to determine which performance receives each award.[7]

Following the singing competitions, the entire student body performs school songs, including the school fight song Imua Kamehameha, Kamehameha Waltz, and Kamehameha March. The use of the latter two songs alternate each year. The ʻike, an exhibition of Hawaiian music and hula performed by students, follows. After the hō‘ike, classes are presented with awards for the singing competitions, and the evening closes with the student body singing Sons of Hawaii, the school's alma mater.

List of awards

The following awards are presented after the hōʻike and are awarded based on the judges' scores.[6]

Kamehameha Song Contest Competitions

2016 Competition

2016 Competition [1]
The 96th annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest will be held on Friday, March 18, 2016. The theme is "ʻO Hawaiʻi Kuʻu Kulāiwi: Songs of my Beloved Homeland."

Women's Competition:

  • Senior Women of 2016 - Liholiho (Beautiful ʻIlima)
  • Junior Women of 2017 - Niʻihau/Kuʻu Lei Pūpū
  • Sophomore Women of 2018 - Mele O Lānaʻi

Men's Competition:

  • Senior Men of 2016 -Ka ʻInuwai (Maikaʻi Ka Makani ʻo Kohala)
  • Junior Men of 2017 - Kona Kai ʻŌpua
  • Sophomore Men of 2018 -Ke ʻAla Tuberose (Hilo March)

Co-Ed Competition:

  • Senior Class of 2016 - Molokai ʻĀina Kaulana
  • Junior Class of 2017 - Mele o Kahoʻolawe
  • Sophomore Class of 2018 -Maui Nō Ka ʻOi
  • Freshman Class of 2019 -Lei i ka Mokihana (Maikaʻi Kauaʻi)

Results

2016 Song Contest Competition Scores
Competition Class of 2016 Class of 2017 Class of 2018 Class of 2019
Men's N/A N/A NA N/A
Women's N/A N/A N/A N/A
Coed N/A N/A N/A N/A
  • Louise Aʻoe McGregor Award: TBA
  • Richard Lyman, Jr. Trophy: TBA
  • New England Mothers' Cup: TBA
  • George Alanson Andrus Cup: TBA
  • Helen Desha Beamer Award: TBA
  • Charles E. King Cup: TBA

Prior Competitions

Kamehameha Song Contest Statistics

Class Colors & Historical Data

Every year since the 1970s, the freshman class is given a list of available colors to choose from. The color they choose will be their class color for their whole high school career and is used at special events, mainly for the Song Contest competition. Each of the main Hawaiian Islands are represented by one of these colors. The options are Red (Hawai'i), Pink (Maui), Yellow (Oahu), Gray (Kaho'olawe), Green (Moloka'i), Orange (Lana'i), Purple (Kaua'i) and White (Ni'ihau). Orange was not on option until it was added to the ballot for the freshmen class of the 2006-2007 school year. Prior to the true Orange selected by the Class of 2010, classes selected an Orange shade of Goldenrod which combined yellow and orange. In 2006, the distinction between Yellow and Orange was made. Note: The Class of 2010 was the first class to be offered White as a class color, but chose Orange. The Class of 2017 was the second class to have White as a class color choice and became the first class to choose White as its class color.[13]

indicates that a class tied for an award with itself, so said award is counted twice.
* indicates a senior sweep that did NOT include the McGregor award.
Table of Song Contest Statistics [14]
Class Color Divisional Awards # of Total Awards Senior Sweep Notes (All statistics date from 1921)
Women Men Coed
2019 GRAY 0 0 0 0 /22 Currently Freshmen.
2018 RED 0 0 0 1 /22 Currently Sophomores.
2017 WHITE 0 0 0 0 /22 Currently Juniors.
2016 PURPLE 0 0 0 1 /22 Currently Seniors.
2015 GREEN 1 1 1 9 /22Yes* Most awards received in a single competition (Tied with the class of 2011 & 2014) (7)
2014 YELLOW 1 1 1 7 /22Yes Most awards received in a single competition (Tied with the class of 2011) (7)
2013 RED 1 2 2 9 /22 Yes
2012 PURPLE 1 0 0 3 /22 No
2011 GREEN 1 1 2 8 /22Yes Most awards received in a single competition (7); Sophomore coed (5th of 5)
2010 ORANGE 3 1 2 14 /22Yes Most awards received overall (14); Women's sweep (7th of 7); Language three-peat (2nd of 2); Most awards received as sophomores (4), Sophomore coed (4th of 5)
2009 RED 1 2 1 9 /22No Most awards received as freshmen (3, tied with Class of 1998); Only music three-peat; Freshmen coed (4th of 4)
2008 PINK 0 0 0 3 /22No No divisional award (first since Class of 1943)
2007 GREEN 0 1 2 9 /22No Most awards received by a coed (6); Sophomore coed (3rd of 5)
2006 PURPLE 1 1 1 4 /22No Sophomore coed (2nd of 5)
2005 RED 2 2 0 7 /22No
2004 GOLDENROD 0 1 0 4 /22No
2003 PINK 1 1 1 9 /22No
2002 GRAY 1 1 2 7 /22No Freshmen coed (3rd of 4); Sophomore men's (5th of 5)
2001 RED 3 1 1 10 /22Yes Most awards received by a women's (6); Only perfect-scoring song (senior women); Women's sweep (6th of 7, first since Class of 1954)
2000 PURPLE 0 0 1 4 /22No
1999 GOLDENROD 0 1 0 2 /22No
1998 GREEN 1 1 2 9 /22Yes* Most awards received as freshmen (3, tied with Class of 2009); Freshmen coed (2nd of 4)
1997 RED 2 1 1 7 /22Yes
1996 GRAY 0 1 1 6 /22No
1995 PURPLE 2 2 1 10 /21No Most awards received by a men's (5); Sophomore women's (first since Class of 1954)
1994 GREEN 1 1 1 8 /20No Most awards received as juniors (5)
1993 RED 1 0 0 3 /19No
1992 GRAY 0 2 1 5 /18No
1991 PINK 1 0 1 7 /17No Director sweep (Ho)
1990 GREEN 1 1 1 5 /16Yes*
1989 RED 1 1 1 5 /15Yes
1988 PURPLE 1 1 1 3 /14Yes* Language three-peat (1st of 2)
1987 PINK 1 1 1 5 /14Yes
1986 GREEN 1 1 1 3 /14Yes*
1985 RED 2 2 2 8 /14Yes Junior sweep (2nd of 2); Only class to sweep twice
1984 ORANGE 0 2 1 4 /14No Sophomore men's (4th of 5, first since Class of 1945)
1983 PURPLE 1 0 0 2 /14No
1982 GREEN 1 2 2 5 /14Yes*
1981 RED 1 1 1 5 /14No
1980 GOLDENROD 1 0 1 2 /14No
1979 PURPLE 1 2 1 5 /14Yes
1978 GREEN 1 0 2 5 /14No First freshmen coed (of 4)
1977 RED 2 1 2 5 /14Yes*
1976 PURPLE 1 2 1 5 /14No First sophomore coed (of 5)
1975 BLUE 1 0 0 4 /14No
1974 BLUE 1 2 1 6 /13No First junior sweep (of 2)

Wins by Grade Level

Competition Wins by Grade Level [15]
Competition Senior Junior Sophomore Freshman
Women's (since 1922) 61 18 13 N/A
Men's (since 1921) 57 22 5 N/A
Coed (since 1967) 28 11 5 4

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "94th Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
  2. "KS Archives". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  3. "KS Archives". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  4. "2010 Song Contest Program" (PDF). Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  5. Hawaiian Holiday. 1961-03-05 http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/historical/songcontest/1961hist.php. Retrieved 2011-01-18. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. 1 2 2008 Song Contest Program, page 23
  7. "Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni " Judging". Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  8. "92nd Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  9. "91st Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  10. "90th Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  11. "89th Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  12. "88th Annual Song Contest". Kamehameha Schools. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  13. "Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni " Class Colors". Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  14. "Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni " Songs by Classes". Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  15. "Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni " Records". Hoʻokūkū Hīmeni. Retrieved 2013-03-22.

External links

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