On November 23, 2024, HBA will be hosting a one-of-a-kind concert at Hilton Hawaiian Village to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary. The concert will have two shows, and ticket sales have already begun. Guests can look forward to performances from the high school wind ensemble and concert bands, as well as performances from the elementary, middle, and high school choirs.
In addition to the band, choral, and hula performances, the concert will also feature testimonies from individuals whose lives have been impacted by HBA. Guests will enter the concert via a “gallery walk,” which will showcase additional student performing groups like the elementary school’s ukulele ensemble and the Jam for Jesus singing group, and the high school’s contemporary band, as well as interactive presentations like a photo booth.
Todd Yokotake, HBA’s choir director, was inspired by Psalm 118 when he themed the concert “Come And See.” He explained, “The scripture that we are focusing on comes from Psalm 118:23, which says ‘This is the Lord’s doing it is marvelous in our eyes.’ [It will be] an evening of reflecting on God’s faithfulness to HBA during its 75-year history.” Having observed his students and other performing groups prepare for the concert, Yokotake is reminded that the event is a large scale collaboration. He added, “It’s been exciting to see individuals and students bring their gifts and talents in a collaborative effort to tell the story of HBA, and for them to interpret the theme in such a way that as audience members leave the event they will say, ‘this is the Lord’s doing, it is marvelous in our eyes.'”
Billie Takaki-Lueder, HBA’s Director of Institutional Advancement, who is heading the school’s 75th anniversary celebrations, shared that the school is proud to celebrate 75 years of “faith, academic excellence, leadership, and innovation.” She hopes that the HBA community will see how much there is to celebrate. “Founded on September 2, 1949, by H.P. and Mary McCormick with just 36 students in grades seven and eight, HBA has grown to serve over 1,100 students from preschool through twelfth grade. Their vision of creating a learning environment rooted in biblical faith and academic excellence began a legacy of transformation that continues to impact generations of students. This year’s graduating class will take up over the 5,000 mark of alumni who are making a difference in our communities all around the world,” she said.
A handful of the student performers spent their fall break in October visiting Texas on a school-sponsored mission trip, where they performed at a number of churches, connecting with HBA alumni and supporters there. The trip not only helped the performers practice playing some of their 75th anniversary repertoire in front of an audience, but it helped them get into the performance mindset and grow closer as a community. Yokotake was impressed to see his students mature in their music ministry. “I felt as though the students realized the powerful connection when singers engage in their own personal worship; their countenance transcends and communicates in such a way that it allows the audience to worship alongside us in one voice. We saw that time and time again,” he said.
With the concert coming up this weekend, students and teachers are making the final push to finalize their performances after months of practice and after school rehearsals. Band director Dwaine Woo offered some insight about what he has learned through the process. He said, “There has been so much teamwork involved with the upcoming concert. From working with Mr. Wynes, [the other band director,] Mr. Yokotake, the Soldiers of Light, Wind Ensemble and other outside partners, I have a better appreciation for all the parts involved and how we need to communicate and work together.”
Tickets are still available at https://www.hba.net/concert and range from $25 to $45. It’s $10 for self-parking and $15 for valet. The “ Come and See” gallery is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in between both shows.
Excerpts from the concert will air on local television stations on December 21 at 7 p.m. on KHON, and on Christmas Day, at 7 p.m. on KHII.
