The high school Nä Mele choir placed first in their division, under the direction of nä kumu Dale Nitta and Kalei Aarona-Lorenzo, at Nä Mele o Maui. The high school choir also regained the title of the language and overall award holders after losing it the previous year to Pä’ia Elementary School. The competition took place at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on Thursday, December 3.

The winners of the Nä Mele o Maui art contest in the photography category were Shiloh Haia, junior; Kiana Medeiros, senior; and Kali Sanico, senior. The winner of the Nä Mele o Maui art contest in the ceramics category was Nikki Davis, junior.

The choir, comprised of 39 high school students, performed Ku‘uipo I ka He‘e Pue One, composed by Princess Miriam Likelike and arranged by Mr. Nitta; and Kamehameha Waltz, composed by Mr. Charles E. King and also arranged by Mr. Nitta.

The Nä Mele choir was accompanied by musicians senior Kaea Warrington on bass, junior Philip Nishioka on guitar, and sophomore Chayce Tancayo on ‘ukulele. Senior Kamie-Lei Fujiwara served as the student conductor.

The middle and elementary school choirs also won their respective divisions. The theme for this year’s Nä Mele o Maui was “Songs of Emma Veary.”