The “Iolani Chorus and Hokuloa Singers presented Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in the annual spring concert this past Friday. 

Using the massed choral voices, three professional soloists and accompanied by two outstanding pianists, Beebe Freitas,  Dr. Thomas Yee and five percussionists, this piece of theatrical music, which is uncomplicated in harmony but very complex in rhythm, was brought to life in an inspired performance. The choral sound was well modulated  and the Latin and high German lyrics came through very clearly. The soloists, baritone Kala’i Stern, soprano Georgine Stark and tenor Darrell Parks, were very good and worked well with the chorus. This is a very difficult work for the students to do but the performance was outstanding.

After intermission, the program lightened considerably but the musicality remained. The students did wonderfully in their final performance of the year, singing such favorites as Rainbow Connection, Fever, and River of Life from the  musical Sweet Charity.

 Congratulations to director John  Alexander, the soloists, instrumentalists and the chorus for an outstanding musical evening.