RISING FROM THE ASHES:
STORIES OF LAHAINA
SATB Chorus and 3 Drums, a cappella
In August 2023 wildfires spread throughout the Hawaiian island of Maui, eventually destroying the town of Lahaina. With homes burned to the ground and many casualties incurred, the residents of Lahaina began to make efforts to rebuild their homeland as well as to move on from this devastating event. Inspired by these events and the artistry created by the students and teachers of Lahaina, this choral multimovement work represents the events of the horror, aftermath, and triumph from going through powerful events such as this. Each movement is distinct in their performance textures and message. Cacophony, aleatory, call and response, and even a mele hula are just some of the features included with this work. Three drums (pahu) supplement the performance with their driving rhythms and supportive, emphatic passages. This work is dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Lahaina wildfires. Your audience will be taken on a journey of hope at your choir’s next performance.
Drum part full scores (available free to download):
Large Pahu Medium Pahu Small Pahu
Each movement also available for individual purchase. Click on their cover images below to be redirected to their respective pages.
(Drum scores can also be found on these respective pages.)
Poems used for the extended choral work were selected from
Rising from the Ashes: Our Stories of Lahaina – A Poetry Collection
by Safirah Ladore, Abby Rogers, Vashti Daise, and the Lahaina Ohana
All of the poets and artists featured in this book are from Lahaina, several of whom were displaced by the Lahaina wildfires…several of whom have experienced incredible loss…Loved ones, houses, jobs, pets, belongings…lost, but all of whom have felt the shock and pain of losing their town and witnessed firsthand the devastation, sorrow and lingering after effects of this cataclysmic event. Saying farewell to dear friends as they move away for lack of housing and income… Having to drive on the one road connecting both sides of the island… past the apocalyptic scenes of rubble and scorched trees…Worrying about the toxic ash contaminating the air, soil and water…Worrying about their future here…There are so many reasons to feel grief and fear…and yet you will feel the power of their optimism and strength in the lines they have written and images they have created.
Available to purchase on Amazon.
If you would like to help the efforts to rebuild Lahaina,
please make a donation to:
Maui Preparatory Academy
c/o Lahaina Fire Disaster Relief Fund
4910 Honoapi’ilani Highway
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-665-9966
https://www.mauiprep.org/giving