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The St. Francis Choir
A Tribute To Father Damien Of Molokai

Album 1963 on Kamiano label
World (Gospel)

Recorded by Sounds of Hawaii, Inc. 10834 Young St., Honolulu 14, Hawaii. Comes with a folded insert about Father Damien as the year 1963 marks the 90th anniversary of his arrival in Hawaii. This is an extraordinary recording, not so much because of the music itself, but because of the choir who sings it. It is the choir of St. Francis Catholic Church, one of a few churches of various denominations at Kalaupapa. The choir is the successor-choir to the one founded by Father Damien himself as a means of bringing spiritual joy to the sufferers at Kalawao. The St. Francis Choir of Kalaupapa this combines in this special recording the historic drama of the Father Damien story, the beauty and holiness of Catholic liturgical music, and the melodiousness of Hawaiian song. This recording was actually made at St. Francis Church, since the choir could not leave the settlement. Special equipment was flown in via the small airline that serves the settlement with daily flights. The church itself provided a rich resonance, which modern recording technology has enhanced. The hymns are adaptations of old European Hymns. The work of adaptation was by another Sacred Hearts missionary priest, Father P. Boniface Schaefer, SS.CC. The latin hymns on side II are by various composers. The record label, "Kamiano" is Hawaiian for Damien. This recording preserves some of the finest of old Hawaiian Catholic singing. A note to record collectors : this recording, necessarily limited in the number of copies pressed, may soon become a treasure in the homes of those fortunate and far-seeing enough to have obtained one of the original copies.

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