The Brigham Young University–Hawaii Concert Choir visited two countries, held five major performances, and participated in dozens of culture exchanges during a two-week tour in May 2010. (pictured top: The choir delights the audience with a Hawaiian musical number in Taichung, Taiwan)
Based around the theme "Voices of Peace in Harmony", the choir shared a message of values, hope, and unity through music with thousands of concertgoers, young adults, youth, and children throughout Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Led by choir director and professor of vocal performance at BYU–Hawaii Michael Belnap, the 52-person choir is made up of BYU–Hawaii students, both music majors and non-music majors alike, and represents many of the more than 70 countries that make up the total student population. The tour roster also included BYU–Hawaii president Steven C. Wheelwright and his wife Margaret, and the commissioner of the LDS Church Educational System Elder Paul V. Johnson and his wife Jill.
"One of the unique aspects of the tourwas having the opportunity to represent BYU–Hawaii to members and guests and to share a message of love, hope, and peace through music," said President Wheelwright. "Whether meeting with a university president, a mayor, the Vice Minister of Education, local students, or members and their guests, this was a wonderful opportunity to share the blessings of the Gospel and help build the Kingdom. It was indeed a humbling and rewarding set of experiences for all of us."
The tour was a success in many areas. First was the growth and experience each of the students achieved personally. The choir members served as missionaries for the Church, emissaries for BYU–Hawaii, and also representatives of their own families. For many of these students, it was their first foreign-country experience. (pictured left: The choir receives a warm welcome from Hsiao Chia-Chi, Deputy Mayor of Taichung City)
Elder Johnson expressed high praise for the choir, "Students from the BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir not only performed well musically, but they were wonderful representatives for the university and the Church. Seeing the youth and young adults of the Church in action always gives me great confidence in the future."
The opportunity to encourage and uplift the hearts of children especially touched the members of the tour. At over a dozen schools in Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Chisan (Taiwan), and Hong Kong, choir members met with and performed for thousands of young children, carrying a message of peace and harmony across cultural bounds. Beyond providing entertaining performances, the choir members had the chance to interact individually with many of these young people.
Several BYU–Hawaii students had life-changing experiences while visiting four schools for mentally and physically handicapped children. Many were brought to tears as they sang with, played with, talked to, and loved these special children of God. Spirits were lifted and hearts were touched in an unforgettable and unique way.
Natahli Mills, a math major from Hauula, Hawaii, was one of those who was deeply moved, "We sang several songs for them as well but my favorite was singing 'I Am A Child of God' in Cantonese. So many of us got teary eyed because we all know that all of those children are children of God and He loves them."
Kaden Peek, a political science major from California, shared similar feelings, "I felt the spirit so strong in the room that I started to cry and I couldn't really stop until we left. Those kids were so pure and so happy that it brought me great joy to be able to bring a smile to their faces."
Selecting Taiwan and Hong Kong as the locations to visit was no accident as these places are key parts of
BYU–Hawaii's target area for current and future students, as well as alumni. It was a prime opportunity to promote BYU–Hawaii as an academic institution. Many of the locations the choir visited were to places where college and education needed to be reinforced. At one school in an economically disadvantaged area of Hong Kong, President Wheelwright was a special guest lecturer to a group of about 40-50 parents. He shared a message of hope for the future and the value of hard work in education. The message was well received and several parents and students had the chance to visit with President Wheelwright and the choir afterward to answer some of their specific questions regarding education and BYU–Hawaii. (pictured above right: BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir during their performance at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong)
In a welcome letter to the Concert Choir from the Asia Area Presidency, it stated that they would "have opportunities to strengthen the youth of the Church in the cities you visit … and lift the hearts of your audiences." At an alumni and prospective student dinner in Taipei, more than fifty young men and young women from Taipei stakes heard from President Wheelwright and met with BYU–Hawaii students. The university president issued a challenge to all the current students to tell the prospective students about their BYU–Hawaii experience as part of the dinner program. He also discussed financial aid and admissions requirements, including English language preparation. The prospective students received BYU–Hawaii pins, along with an invitation to take a close look at BYU–Hawaii for their education. (pictured below, left: Music major Kit Ming Lau translates for President Wheelwright as he explains Hawaii's I-WORK financial aid program and its services to prospective students in Taipei)
In addition, a cultural exchange camp at Feng Chia University (in Taichung, Taiwan) created wonderful networking opportunities with local students and faculty who could be influential in helping current students find internships and jobs after graduating from BYU–Hawaii.
Wherever they went, the choir was warmly welcomed by the local Saints. Hundreds of LDS Church members attended the choir's concerts and firesides in Hong Kong and Taipei. The choir also held a music workshop for local Taiwanese members in Taipei.
Besides these formal events, there were opportunities for more personal interaction between the touring group and church members throughout Taiwan and Hong Kong. On the tour's first night, the choir members split up to join families in the Kaohsiung East and West Stakes for Family Home Evening.
Michael Bay, a senior from Massachusetts studying social work, and Dallin Coburn, a sophomore from Nevada, shared the evening with the Lin family. "Dallin and I know that we were assigned to this family for a reason," said Bay, "Their youngest daughter has Down syndrome and Dallin's younger sister also has Down syndrome. As Dallin talked with Sister Lin there were a lot of similarities with the situations they had to deal with. There really were some awesome connections made and we absolutely love that family."
Members also interacted with the Concert Choir at temple services in Taipei and Hong Kong, a stake conference in Taipei (where the choir sang a special musical number), and a host of lunches and dinners.
To prepare for the tour spiritually, the choir was challenged to read the entire Book of Mormon. Then, once they arrived, each choir member was given a Chinese copy of the Book of Mormon with the challenge to give it away to someone they would meet. Almost all the books had been placed before the two-week tour was complete.
Kit Ming Lau, a music major from Hong Kong, had a very special experience after a performance at an elementary school in Taiwan. One of the songs the choir sang was in the Chinese Hakka dialect, and a teacher who was of the Hakka people met with Ming when the performance was over. The song meant a lot to him, and he expressed his gratitude and surprise that the choir included it in their repertoire.
"He said the version that we sang was the best that he had heard in the past 40 years," Ming said, "When I explained to him that none of us in the choir spoke the Hakka dialect, he was even more amazed. I used the opportunity to share with him why BYU–Hawaii is such a special school. I also shared a little about the Church and our beliefs. Before getting on the bus, I gave him a Book of Mormon. I told him that the book was very important to us, and if he wanted to learn more, he could contact the missionaries. We talked until the very last second. As we drove away, I saw him holding the Book of Mormon, continuing to wave us goodbye. My heart was full. This was just one of the many miracles that happened on the tour."
In addition to the Book of Mormon challenge, the local missionaries in Kaohsiung and in Hong Kong gave each choir member contact cards to give out as invitations to church services and as a way request contact by the missionaries. One man who Janelle Parker, senior in vocal studies from Utah, met after a performance in Taipei accepted the invitation to attend a fireside the following evening and met with missionaries that night. (pictured right: Janelle Parker makes quick friends with a child at Po Leung Kuk Centenary School in Hong Kong)
Stacy McCarrey, a music faculty member at BYU–Hawaii, observed the benefits of personal and collective preparation to positively influence lives. "Everywhere our students went, they seemed to leave a feeling of goodness and light in their wake."
Click here to read article on ldschurchnews.com