Ke Ao was composed in 2010 for two special anniversaries: the Hawaii Youth Symphony’s 45th, and Maestro Henry Miyamura’s 25th as music director of the HYS. Scored for orchestra, large chorus and Hoʻopaʻa (Hawaiian-language) chanters, the work is the result of a collaboration with kumu hula Michael Pili Pang, to celebrate the special island heritage of this youth orchestra and its commitment to quality music education. Ke Ao sets to music portions of Mele Hānau no Kau-i-ke-ao-uli, the sacred oli (chant) performed in 1813 at the birthing ceremonies of Kauikeaouli, second son of Kamehameha the Great. It was during Kauikeaouli’s reign as Kamehameha III (1824-54) that public schools were established in Hawaii, leading to the Hawaiian nation becoming the most literate nation in the world. He ruled Hawaiʻi for 30 years, during which time he gave the Hawaiian people their first and second constitutions, defended the sovereignty of his kingdom under increasing international pressures, and witnessed the precipitous population decline of his people.
Ke Ao is cast in 3 continuous movements: Ka Honua (the earth) tells of the earth’s birth and dramatic growth; Ka Moku (the island) tells of the “unstable island, quivering… moving freely about space”; and Ke Ao (the cloud) tells of a deepening dark cloud, metaphor for the difficult birth and tumultuous future which would be Kauikeaouli’s.
