Deep River School in Sanford won 2nd Place in Division I.
MIX 101.5 wrapped up their 2014 Christmas Choir Competition Monday night with their first-ever Christmas Choir Competition Concert!
First, second and third place choirs from Division I and II joined MIX 101.5’s Gene & Julie at Crabtree Valley Mall to perform their winning entries in the Christmas Choir Competition presented by Lowes Foods. These six schools were awarded a total of $16,000 for their choir programs.
“The Mix 101.5 Christmas Choir Competition Concert was fantastic,” said Julie Gates. “It was great to hear the six winning school choirs sing their award-winning songs in front of a standing-room only crowd at Crabtree Valley Mall. It was electric! The choir directors shared compelling stories about why it is so important to keep music in our schools (one of them put it so eloquently saying, ‘Not all kids are going to be a star athlete or a math whiz, but some kids’ lives are fulfilled through music. This is a special place where they can belong and thrive.’”
Christmas Choir Competition entries were accepted November 3 – 21, 2014 from schools in an eleven-county contest area. The contest featured two divisions: Kindergarten through 8th grade and 9th through 12th grade. Nine semi-finalists were chosen from each division and were showcased on MIX 101.5. Listeners, parents, school staff members and students were asked to visit wralfm.com to vote for the school choir they liked best.
Wake Forest’s Franklin Academy claimed 1st place in Division I and the $5,000 cash prize. Deep River School (Sanford, NC) won 2nd place and $2,000, while Martin GT Magnet Middle School (Raleigh, NC) received 3rd place and $1,000.
The Division II 1st place title and $5,000 went to Northwood High School (Pittsboro, NC), followed by Millbrook High School (Raleigh, NC) in 2nd place with $2,000. 3rd place and $1,000 went to Cary High School (Cary, NC).
“What blew us away was the pay-it-forward camaraderie of the schools’ choir directors,” said Julie Gates. “The 1st Place Winner in Division I was Franklin Academy of Wake Forest. Choir Director Kasie Ryan said she is going to take her choir’s $5,000 winnings and share it with other schools that don’t have money for their music program! Division II’s First Place Winner was Northwood High School of Pittsboro and they are delighted to use their $5,000 grand prize money to buy risers so the students have a place to perform during the choir’s school concerts. It was an amazing evening!”
MIX 101.5 will be playing Christmas music and featuring the six winning entries in regular rotation through Christmas Day. Listeners can also go to wralfm.com for a list of all 18 semi-finalists or to hear their entries.
Listen to the entries: http://pro.wral-fm.tritonflex.com/common/page.php?id=1701
Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Jenny Clements and Julie Gates for this capcom scoop & for these capcom photos.
MIX 101.5 held its first-ever Christmas Choir Competition Concert at Crabtree Valley Mally on Monday, December 16, 2014.
The crowd begins to gather for the first-ever MIX 101.5 Christmas Choir Competition Concert.
Students from Franklin Academy in Wake Forest get ready to perform.
Franklin Academy in Wake Forest won First Place in Division I.
Franklin Academy in Wake Forest won First Place in Division I.
Franklin Academy students perform with their director Kasie Ryan.
Quite a crowd attends the first-ever MIX 101.5 Christmas Choir Competition Concert.
MIX 101.5’s Julie & Gene Gates meet the choir directors.
WRAL-FM’s Jenny Clements runs the show at the first-ever MIX 101.5 Christmas Choir Competition Concert.
Deep River Elementary brings a big cheering section.
Deep River School in Sanford won 2nd Place in Division I.
Deep River School brought the Grinch for their performance.
Deep River School in Sanford won 2nd Place in Division I.
Deep River School in Sanford won 2nd Place in Division I.
Deep River students perform with their director Kim Brown.
Martin GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh won 3rd place in Division I.
Martin GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh won 3rd place in Division I.
Martin GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh won 3rd place in Division I.
Martin GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh won 3rd place in Division I.
Danny Yancey, choir director at Martin Magnet GT Middle School.
Quite a crowd attends the first-ever MIX 101.5 Christmas Choir Competition Concert.
Northwood High School in Pittsboro won 1st Place in Division II.
Northwood High School in Pittsboro won 1st Place in Division II.
Millbrook High School in Raleigh won 2nd Place in Division II.
Millbrook High School in Raleigh won 2nd Place in Division II.
MIX’s Julie Gates talks to Eddie Adams, choral director at Millbrook High School.
Cary High School won 3rd Place in Division II.
