K'EKCHI' CHOIR
Since missionary efforts began in the Kekchi language over thirty years ago, Kekchi speakers have had only limited exposure to the sacred music of the Church. Only small pamphlets containing a handful of hymns were published over the years, and those, with limited distribution. For this and other reasons, a new Kekchi hymnbook was a strong request for many years.
Recently, the right resources came together in order to produce a new Kekchi hymnbook with many new hymn translations, while also building on earlier translations, adding doctrinal substance, artistic attention and accuracy in translation. This complete Kekchi hymnbook was released in July 2012.
At the arrival of this great blessing, a group of thirty singers gathered together last year and collaborated with the Central America Area Presidency to provide another blessing for Kekchi speakers—the blessing of hearing these hymns performed for the first time in four-part harmony and in other appropriate arrangements. Not only had Kekchi speakers never heard many of these hymns, they had also never heard any of the hymns performed beautifully in a live setting, and that in their own language.
Because the Kekchi Choir had such a significant impact in Guatemala, and because the Kekchi Children's Songbook will also be published later this year, we are now working to prepare a choir once again to travel to Guatemala and perform Kekchi Christmas hymns in a series of evening firesides while spending day-time hours teaching Kekchi children's songs to Kekchi-speaking families. This will occupy sixteen days of travel on the dates of November 30th–December 16th, 2013, which will include time in the Polochic Valley, a remote area of beautiful scenery and humble, loving people.
Fulfilling this goal relies on gathering vocalists willing to give of their time, means, and talents. We calculate that each traveling vocalist should set apart a minimum of $1,800 to cover costs of transportation, food, and lodging.
We find additional motivation for this undertaking in considering that the recent increase of full-time missionaries throughout the world has allowed a new mission to be opened in Guatemala—the Cobán Mission—which will be the first mission ever stationed in a Kekchi-speaking region.
We invite you to review the details of the choir's rehearsal and travel plans contained in the Program & Schedule document attached to this email and to consider giving of your time, means, and talents to join in this effort.
If you desire to join the choir, please contact us at kekchichoir@gmail.com. Depending on your level of musical experience, we may request that you meet with us for an individual vocal audition before joining the choir. The purpose of such an audition would be not only to assess your skills, but also to help you meet goals that would prepare you for the musical demands of the choir.
Please also feel free to learn more about the choir by finding Kekchi Choir on facebook, or by watching this news report about the choir at the following link:
We find inspiration in a truth stated by Mother Teresa, that "the world is hungry not only for food, but also for beauty."
Sincerely,
Kekchi Choir
P.O. Box 692
Salt Lake City UT 84110