KAILUA — Windward voices will rise again in song as a newly formed choral group makes its debut at a free concert this week.

The Windward Choral Society, a 55-voice community choir, has been meeting since September hoping to fill a void in the performing arts for that side of O'ahu.

Honolulu has its own chorales, youth choirs and opera singers, and at one time Kailua had the Madrigals, but that faded as its leader Shigeru Hotoke's health declined.

Susan McCreary Duprey, founder and director of the choral group, said she wanted to fill a void with a volunteer choir and the turnout — including military wives, seasoned performers and professionals — had exceeded her expectations.

"(The new group) reinforces how music is the universal language," Duprey said. "Whether you are new to Hawai'i or you are generations here, we can meet on a Tuesday night and sing our hearts out and somehow come together."

The call for singers went out in September, and Duprey said she expected 25 to show up and printed enough music for 50 people, but she ran out.

One woman who hadn't sung in 50 years showed up and another woman had a doctorate in vocal performance, she said. Some had sung in elementary school, others had performed with the Kailua Madrigals and several were professional singers with the opera, Duprey said, adding that they came with a wide range of skills such as those who read music and those who sang by ear.

"It was exactly what I was hoping for as far as a community-based group," she said.

And the group was exactly what Cindy Namahoe was looking for when she signed up. A Kailua Madrigal singer in the 1970s, she had reunited with Madrigal founder Hotoke in 1985 to form an alumni choir, Namahoe said. But recent health problems ended Hotoke's group, she said.

Duprey's community chorale was a perfect fit for people who love to sing but can't read music, Namahoe said.

"She (Duprey) has so much energy and is a joy to sing with," she said. "She doesn't care if you can read music or not because a lot of us, in high school we never learned to read music. We all sing by ear, which is fine with her."

The upcoming concert, sponsored by The Windward Arts Council, will feature a wide variety of music including traditional Christmas songs, gospel, Hawaiian, African and Hebrew music. Pianist Grant Mack will accompany the choir.

The music is a challenge but is energizing, and on weeks when she doesn't feel like doing anything else, Namahoe said, she would always go to practice.

"For me, it's very uplifting," she said. "Singing is part of my soul. I come away from the practice feeling very energized and renewed to face the week."