During the second week of October, Hawaiʻi will be playing host to an international gathering of barbershop quartets.
Members of chapters from Australia, New Zealand and Japan will be in Honolulu for the Pan Pacific Harmony Convention from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10.
The convention will be place at Hilton Hawaiian Village, and it will also include free concerts for the public to enjoy. One takes place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center on Oct. 10, and there will be a special gathering at Kawaiahaʻo Church in memory of the Sounds of Aloha Chorus.
To learn more, HPR caught up with the Sounds of Aloha Chorus at a weekend rehearsal at the Ala Wai Clubhouse. Musical director Brice William Irvine and Pan Pacific Harmony Convention co-director Adam Jensen both spoke with HPR about the event.
“It's all about harmony,” Brice said.
“That's exactly why we do what we do. It is about unifying people, not just through music, but through just fellowship and friendship.”
Jensen added, “When we hit that four-part harmony and that overtone comes in, there is nothing like being amongst that harmonious sound.”
More information about the convention can be found here. And before you go, listen along to the Sounds of Aloha Chorus’ acapella rendition of a local favorite, “Sophisticated Hula,” and find more of their performances here.
This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 5, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
