Windward Choral Society (WCS) presented its sixth annual holiday concerts on December 3 and 4 to the largest audiences in their history.  The first evening, in the new venue of St. Anthony’s Church in Kailua, 400 people filled the church to hear multi-cultural holiday music—some in Spanish, Swedish, and Hebrew—with enhancement by members of the MARFORPAC Band, based at Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, and a local cellist.

The Hawai‘i premier of Malcolm Dalglish’s, “Star in the East” highlighted renowned hammered dulcimer player, Patti Amelotte, from California.  She also accompanied the chorus on several other selections and offered a unique solo to the delight and appreciation of the audience.

In the middle of the concert, the Marines enlivened the evening with a wonderful presentation, which brought on continuing applause and a standing ovation.  It seemed obvious that the large audience enjoyed not only the Marines’ music but their participation in a community event and showed patriot pride and appreciation in their contribution by being Marines.

A duplicate concert occurred the next evening at the original home of WCS, Windward United Church of Christ, when once again an audience of 350 people overflowed the church and showed huge appreciation for the music, the Marine presence, and the haunting music of the dulcimer playe