April 2026 Musical Notes collage

The April 2026 “Musical Notes” newsletter is out!

See the April 2026 (3.6 MB) Musical Notes newsletter for the following articles: Big Island Celebrates 52 Years of Gathafests Music Editorial by Francis Okano: Gatha Recordings Oahu District Music Notes Honolulu District Music Notes Committee Member List See also Music Committee (includes links to Musical Notes back issues)

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view of Choralfest 2025 from the back of the Hondo

Choralfest Returns After a Seven-Year Hiatus

Courtesy of Irene Nohara Choral master Nola Nahulu, center, directed altos, left; tenors and basses, center, and sopranos, right, in six gathas before an appreciative crowd at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaiʻi Betsuin. VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 4 • December 2025 Choralfest Returns After a Seven-Year Hiatus A hundred singers took part...

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Headquarters Update, Oct. 2025 (thumbnail image)

October 2025 Headquarters Update now available online

See the October 2025 Headquarters Update for the following articles: Message from Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani Tokudo Committee on Social Concerns Archives Workshop (Nov. 16, hybrid) Living Gratitude Grant (see informational document) Condolence Giseikai 2026 (Feb. 20-21) BWA State Membership Conference (Mar. 28-29, see flyer/registration) Choralfest 2025 Music Service Video Now on Youtube...

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Nola Nahulu conducts at the Choralfest 2025 Music Service

Choralfest Returns!

By Francis Okano After seven years, the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Music Committee ended its long COVID pause to stage a choralfest at the Hawaii Betsuin on the weekend of September 20-21, 2025. Eager for music, one hundred brave singers from as far east as Denver, Colorado, and as...

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Francis Okano

Choralfest Returns to Hawaiʻi Betsuin

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 3 • September 2025 Choralfest Returns to Hawaiʻi Betsuin Singers from Colorado to Kanazawa will perform at the biennial event for the first time since 2020 BY FRANCIS OKANO HONPA HONGWANJI MISSION MUSIC COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN With the pandemic shutdown of 2020 behind us, Choralfest will resume...

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Headquarters Update newsletter, March 2025 thumbnail image

April 2025 Headquarters Update now available online

See the April 2025 Headquarters Update for the following articles: Message From the Bishop: “Reflection on the 80th Anniversary of the Kamikaze Attack and Burial on the USS Missouri” Condolence Intro Class on Cybersecurity (5/10/25, hybrid) Buddhist Study Center Summer Session (8/4-8/8, hybrid) BSC Spring Tetsuya (5/11-5/16) “Sharing Your Nembutsu...

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