Three 91原创 Island music programs have won their respective age categories in the annual 91原创 Music Class Challenge, with several others placing among the top finishers in the national CBC competition.
The top three entries in 10 categories were singled out by judges this week, with three music schools from 91原创 Island earning top honours. 鈥淚 heard squeals and shrieks on the phone when I told them they had won,鈥� said Victoria music instructor Fraser Campbell, whose group of elementary and middle school students was among the winners.
The prizes for this year鈥檚 challenge include thousands of dollars in gift certificates for instruments or other audio products from Long & McQuade.
Entrants could choose from a wide-ranging list of 22 popular 91原创 songs, including Hand in My Pocket by Alanis Morissette, You鈥檙e Still the One by Shania Twain and Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.
The junior choir from 颅Victoria鈥檚 McKenzie Elementary went the medley route and won the primary vocal category for students from Kindergarten to Grade 3. The 23-member choir鈥檚 rendition of songs by Jack Grunsky, Catherine 颅MacLellan and Sam Roberts earned the school $3,000 in new 颅musical 颅instruments and a plaque 颅commemorating the win.
Campbell鈥檚 music school in Saanich won the community music class category for its 颅version of Alessia Cara鈥檚 颅October, the second of the school鈥檚 two entries in the contest 鈥� and its least-rehearsed, according to Campbell. 鈥淚t was actually a last-minute thing,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut we pulled it off.鈥�
For their efforts, the 11 students in grades 5-8 were given $1,000 to spend at Long & McQuade.
Cross Canada Fiddle from Nanaimo won the junior instrumental (grades 7-10) category, $3,000 and praise from CBC host Julie Nesrallah, one of four judges in the contest. 鈥淲hat a team!鈥� she said of the fiddle orchestra鈥檚 rendition of Oscar Peterson鈥檚 Hymn to Freedom. 鈥淭hey play with such poise, beauty of tone and a sensitive sense of ensemble.鈥�
Music programs at Chemainus Elementary (elementary vocal, grades 4-6), Arbutus Global Middle School (junior vocal, grades 7-10) and St. Michael鈥檚 University School (primary vocal, 颅Kindergarten-Grade 3) were the other 颅91原创 Island entries to crack the top three in their respective categories.
McKenzie Elementary鈥檚 Junior Choir
Fraser Campbell Music School
Cross Canada Fiddle
