Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir performs “Worldwide Requiem” at Carnegie Hall inspired by natural disasters and war across the globe
At Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 11, 2025, a diverse array of BYU—Hawaii students from many different countries gathered to perform “Worldwide Requiem,” says BYU—Hawaii News. Composed by Erica Glenn, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, the music honors the survivors and casualties of global crises like wars and natural disasters, said Seon Woong Hwang, a senior biology major from South Korea and choir member.
Another choir member, sophomore biology major Jacob Joyner from Texas, said he had minimal knowledge of these global disasters before coming to BYU—Hawaii and rehearsing this music. He said though such crises are devastating, there are people in Western nations like himself who may be oblivious to these greater global issues. He said someone told him Ukrainian delegates attended their performance at Carnegie Hall. “I hope people who were affected by this and heard [us] feel like they have a voice now.”
Surviving Typhoon Haiyan
Performing at Carnegie Hall was an emotional experience, shared Abel Andaya, a sophomore visual arts major. His experiences surviving Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines as a child were on his mind as they sang Pie Jesu, a piece about that same natural disaster.
Andaya’s family moved to a different part of the Philippines for his father’s church calling as a mission president, he said. Around five in the morning one day, he said he was woken up by water splashing into his bedroom window. Three hours later, he said the wind intensified, breaking their home’s glass windows. The family squeezed into a tiny bathroom downstairs to protect them from shards of glass, he recollected.
As the water level rose, he said his family moved to the second floor and fearfully prayed they would not be forced to climb onto the roof. After three days, they were able to go outside for the first time, he said, where the ground was covered with a foot deep of mud, debris and dead bodies.
Eventually, the family flew to safety in Manila, he said. Over a decade later, Andaya shared loud gusts of wind and heavy rains remind him of the catastrophe. However, he said singing “Pie Jesu” at Carnegie Hall was a healing experience.
Pie Jesu
Hwang said his favorite of the seven pieces was “Pie Jesu.” He said the song lyrics came from a Filipino student at BYU—Hawaii who survived the disaster and whose father was a rescue volunteer.
“The song lyrics say a boy was climbing up a tree, even though he was bleeding … but in the end, he couldn’t survive,” said Hwang. The song also describes the tragic loss of an entire family as floodwaters rushed in unexpectedly. "The whole family died, even a two-month-old baby," he said while demonstrating how the family died clinging to one another.
Hwang said singing is one way communities can remember those who died and survived natural disasters. He hoped their voices reached the deceased and brought them comfort.
Connecting to Ukraine
Glenn said she felt compelled to compose music about global crises because of her personal ties to Ukraine and sadness regarding the war, she shared. From 2008 to 2009, she served a mission in Eastern Ukraine, she said. Since then, she has maintained relationships with friends from her mission and work colleagues in Ukraine.
When the war broke out, “I did all that I could to help people come up with evacuation plans.” Glenn recounted a call with a young woman who was trying to survive an active war zone. “She was able to keep a burner phone, and she would run through the bombing every day to a spot with cell reception.” Struck by the woman's harrowing story, Glenn said she immediately wrote an article with eyewitness accounts that was published in USA Today. “I felt really strongly about bringing as much awareness as I could,” she continued.
Since then, Glenn has organized a benefit concert for Ukraine and completed a research trip in Poland on how music helped Ukraine refugees bond through difficulties, she shared. Her research and work with students facing hardship affirmed for her that music is a tool where “voices can be heard across cultures to heal each other’s wounds,” she said.
The composition process
Before composing, Glenn said she began with conversations with students and parents about their experiences with global crises. She also compiled her own research about global crises into a document and listened to other requiems for inspiration.
Within two days, she composed two movements while at an Airbnb over Christmas break, she shared. She said she works the best when she has concentrated periods of time to work without distraction. She said she is blessed with the ability to draft music quite quickly.
However, she shared that does not mean she put little thought into the music. Even after drafting the movements, she collaborated with her choir students, their parents, BYUH professors and others to revise the words of the music based on their understanding of languages Glenn did not speak.
Healing and ancestral connections
Glenn’s student, Moanahiwalani Walker from Hawaii, used her creativity to make the performance as impactful as possible, Glenn said. For each of the first six songs, a student represented a nation impacted by tragedy, walking to the front of the stage carrying a candle and a lei, Glenn said. According to her, Walker handcrafted each lei using plants symbolic for each country.
The final movement, “In Paradisum,” honored victims of the 2023 Lahaina fire, Glenn said. During the song, Walker wore the lei representing each nation and danced hula, which made the performance unique, said Glenn. “It was an emblem of cross-cultural connection and healing.”
Several students cried during the performance, Hwang recollected. “Some of them still remember the natural disasters,” he shared. Even though Joyner did not experience any natural disaster, he said singing have him closure from his home burning down last fall.
To deepen the emotional connection, Glenn said students wore traditional outfits from their cultures to honor their ancestors. One student wore a handkerchief his recently deceased mother had given him, she said. Another wore a dress her Mexican ancestor wore when she crossed the ocean to arrive in the United States, she shared. Many students said they felt the presence of angels on stage with them, she said.
The students were deeply changed by the experience of performing at Carnegie Hall, said Glenn. Those who personally experienced these kinds of tragedies were given the opportunity to process their struggles, she said. She shared it reminded them of the value of the arts. Hwang said he believes music transcends language and builds connections.
