Format
The current format of Song Contest involves three areas of a cappella choral competition: men, women, and coeducational. Each grade (9-12) sings a coed piece. Additionally, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors sing individual men's and women's pieces. The men's competition is held first in odd-numbered years (e.g., 2009), while the women's competition is first in even-numbered years. The coed competition always occurs last. Five prominent community members judge the competition for language and musical performance. There are two language and two music judges, as well as an overall judge who judges both categories. Both categories are worth 50% of a class' overall score; scores are used to determine which performance receives each award.
Following the singing competitions, the entire student body performs school songs, including the school fight song Imua Kamehameha, Kamehameha Waltz, and Kamehameha March. The use of the latter two songs alternate each year. The hōʻike, an exhibition of Hawaiian music and hula performed by students, follows. After the hō‘ike, classes are presented with awards for the singing competitions, and the evening closes with the student body singing Sons of Hawaii, the school's alma mater.
Read more about this topic: Kamehameha Schools Song Contest