Voices of Aloha: Sharing the Gift of Music for Over a Century

Honolulu’s Beloved Community Choir Creates a Longstanding Legacy of Sharing Aloha Through Music

A unique chorus has been connecting community and music across Oahu for over a century: The Voices of Aloha. More than just a choir, they are a diverse tapestry of people and voices, united by a common passion for singing and a desire to share the spirit of Aloha and island culture with their audiences.

Their story stretches back over a century, beginning in 1916 as “The Gleemen of Honolulu” an all men’s choir with the vision to spread good feelings and joy with others through the sharing of music. Over time it became difficult to fill the choir with only men so they grew to include women in 1992 becoming “The Gleemen Plus”. The chorus then continued its evolution with a name change after 2007 to better reflect the spirit and vision of the group assuming their current name, Voices of Aloha.

Today, the Voices of Aloha remain a vibrant melting pot of ages and backgrounds. Their longest-standing member since 2010, Myron Monte, sang acapella in high school. He jumped at the chance, to continue that tradition, when a friend told him about the non-audition community choir in his neighborhood. Having sung now, with the Voices of Aloha, for the past 13 years Monte enjoys the fulfillment he gets from relationships he’s built with other choir members. He especially loves their twice-a-year performance at The Maunalani Rehabilitation Center. When he sees the care home community get into the show he says, “It makes us happy and touches our hearts to see them singing along.”

Voices of Aloha President, Creig Lam, states very simply, “The whole purpose of having concerts anywhere is to bring aloha to people. We choose retirement homes as venues very purposefully because they need that in those homes and we want to bless people with music and the presence of aloha, which is the presence of breath and life. It’s important for us to understand what aloha is and what it is we’re bringing to the people who attend our concerts and I really believe we bring the presence of the breath of life!”

The musical repertoire of this choir is as diverse as the island itself, blending classical choral pieces with pop, Hawaiian, and contemporary island melodies. The group isn’t affiliated with a church and sing both secular and religious pieces where appropriate for the season and/or event. The current musical director for Voices of Aloha, Jim Cismowski, continues the tradition of selecting a wide variety of musical genres for the group to perform. He brings a wealth of experience leading choirs for 44 years to perform in churches, festivals, musical tours, and even Carnegie Hall.

Cismowski has an eclectic taste in music and enjoys the process not only of finding musical pieces to represent different styles but also the art of arranging the music to keep it interesting and accessible for an amateur-based choir such as the Voices of Aloha. Cismowski loves the fun and challenges that come with directing a mixed group of both amateur and highly-trained voices.

Says Cismowski, “I love working with amateurs. The root of the word amateur means love. So, it’s people who love what they’re doing and that’s why they do it. I love working with them. I love music and the aspect of performing to enrich other people’s lives with the art that we’ve prepared. It’s really a gift to us to be able to bless someone else with our work. I feel very humbled and honored”

This love for sharing music is echoed among the choir members as well. Sara Dewhurst is one of the newest and youngest members of the group and wanted to join because she loves singing with other people. Dewhurst sums up the beauty and togetherness of the Voices of Aloha Choir by saying, “There’s something about singing with other people that amplifies music’s ability to nourish your soul. Something that makes this group unique is that everyone cares about you and they want to know about you. It’s a generation that’s older than my generation and it’s a generation that I want to be influenced by because I feel like they really get it – the sense of community and cooperation. There’s no competitiveness, it’s fun and just focused on the greater goal, which is to share music.”

Ruth Fujimoto has been a choir member with Voices of Aloha for the past 9 years. She’s inspired by the deep commitment to community service that drives the group. The choir performs regularly at senior centers, care homes, and community events each year. Fujimoto is a soloist with a powerful and joyous soprano voice. Yet even as a more experienced vocalist, her time with the choir has helped her grow as a singer too, “I’ve become more of a team player by learning to blend. It’s not about being a diva or standing out. Jim has a great work ethic and knows how to make us sing better so the entire choir sounds good. People seem to really enjoy our singing and we’re getting more & more people coming to our concerts.”

Their annual concerts aren’t just performances; they are gatherings of the community, a chance to share stories, laughter, and the unifying power of music. The Voices of Aloha are more than just beautiful melodies. They are ambassadors of aloha, spreading goodwill and fostering a sense of community through their music.

The Voices of Aloha are a non-audition choir so whether you’re a seasoned vocalist or just love to sing everyone is welcome! If you’re interested in learning more contact them at: Voicesofaloha@gmail.com

by Erica McMillan