History
The first Song Contest (then called the Inter-class Song Competition) was held on May 26, 1921 at the original Kamehameha School for Boys. It was started to perpetuate the memory of George Alanson Andrus, a music teacher at the School. Each class from grades 5-9 presented four Hawaiian songs: an original song (up until 1935), a choice song selected by the class, a prize song selected by the music department of the school (up until 1972), and the school song. Each class also selected a song leader to direct the class in rehearsal and performance.
One year after the Boys in 1922, the Kamehameha School for Girls held its inaugural Song Contest on the steps of the Main Hall of the Girls’ School (located opposite of the current Farrington High School), while the Boys' contest was held on the steps of Bishop Museum. When Kamehameha moved to its current location at Kapālama Heights in 1931, the contests were moved to the newly built auditorium. The first combined contest took place in 1952 in Kekūhaupiʻo, the new fieldhouse. In 1964, the contest was moved to the Neal Blaisdell Center (formerly the Honolulu International Auditorium), and it continues to be held there today. In 1966, the hōʻike, an exhibition of Hawaiian music and hula performed by students, was added to the program while the judges' scores were being tallied.
Beginning in 1953, Song Contest has been simulcast on the radio statewide; the Contest made its television debut in 1968. Beginning in 2000, Song Contest has also been webcast live on the school's website. Kamehameha Schools briefly sold audio of the performances on iTunes and DVDs of the entire program from 2007 to 2010.
Read more about this topic: Kamehameha Schools Song Contest
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