News Item: Tahitian Latter-day Saint Choir Sings for French President
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 -- Add News
| Tahitian Latter-day Saint Choir Sings for French President | 11 Aug 2003 |
|
French Polynesia's "Tabernacle Choir" performs for President Jacques Chirac and crowd of 30,000 Tahitians 7/27/2003 Papeete, TAHITI French President Jacques Chirac was treated to a night of culture at the overflowing Pater Stadium in the French Polynesian capital on Sunday night. The event, attended by Pacific prime ministers, French Polynesian and international dignitaries, and over 30,000 locals was called "Te Hono Nui" in Tahitian, which means Big Gathering. The meeting was in honor of President Jacques Chirac's visit to French Polynesia. At the invitation of French Polynesia's president, Gaston Flosse, a 400-voice choir from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed at the event. The choir members were from the five Latter-day Saint stakes (similar to dioceses) on the island of Tahiti. There are close to 17,000 members of the Church in 78 congregations in French Polynesia. Elder Ronald T. Halverson, the Church's area president for the Pacific Islands Area, and his wife, Sister Linda Halverson, attended the meeting as special guests of President Flosse. "This is the Tahitian Tabernacle Choir," Flosse said after hearing the choir sing. As the respective flags of France and French Polynesia were raised, the choir sang the national anthems of each country. Singing in their native language of Tahitian, the choir closed the program with a traditional Tahitian song of farewell. The dignitaries and crowd spontaneously joined them in the singing. A giant screen presented a brief video about each island group before performances of traditional dancing that presented French Polynesia's five island groups the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu-Gambier Islands and the Austral Islands. As the crowd left the arena, the choir sang a last number, "God Be with You Till We Meet Again." The regional choir, which has rehearsed for three months, was conducted by Bianca Hoffman and accompanied on the organ by Ken Hapairai. The event was televised throughout French Polynesia and France. Media Contacts: Benjamin Sinjoux, Office: 689 505 506, Mobile: 689 778 302 Yolande Bennett, Office: 689 543 590, Mobile: 689 722 147 |
|
| R. Marcus Young | Send Email |