The recent 30th annual Coral Gables Caroling Competition ended with an amazing awards show that showcased seven of the eight grand prize winners of the competition.
Hosted as always by the 550 Biltmore Way Building in Coral Gables, the event was presented this year by UHealth Jackson Urgent Care Centers.
The competition began Nov. 30 and ran through Dec. 4. Twenty nine different schools performed every half hour over the five nights. The free concerts were held on the steps of the 550 Building. The Merrick Festival awarded $13,000 in cash prizes to 20 South Florida middle and high schools, in addition to each school receiving $225 for the transportation costs.
The grand prize winners that performed on on the final night were:
New World School of the Arts, Senior Magnet Schools;
Doral Charter Academy, Senior Full Choir;
Florida Christian School, Senior Small Ensemble;
Hialeah Senior High, Senior Show Choir;
South Miami Middle School, Junior Magnet Schools;
Florida Christian School, Junior Full Choir, and
Good Shepherd School, Junior Small Ensemble.
Ronald Reagan/Doral Senior High, which was awarded a grand prize for Senior Full Choir, was unable to attend the awards show.
In addition to the grand prizes, Merrick Festival awarded 10 other schools with runner up or honorable mention prizes. Robert Morgan Senior High won the coveted Rotary Music Award with a song titled Pueri Concinite by Johann Herbeck.
The soloist who won the Miami Music Festival Scholarship was Alysia Velez, a senior at Robert Morgan Senior High. She will receive a $3,200 scholarship to attend and participate in the festival in June 2017 at Barry University. Alysia is a talented young woman who has never had a formal vocal lesson. She was selected from a field of six soloists entered by their directors.
The event is made possible through the support of some 30 local foundations, municipal organizations, corporations and local businesses, and with the support of the City of Coral Gables Cultural Development Board and Miami Dade Cultural Affairs. In addition, other sponsors of the 30-year-old event include: REA Charitable Trust, Coral Gables Community Foundation, Tweed Charitable Foundation, Mercedes Benz-Coral Gables, Publix Supermarkets, Rotary Club of Coral Gables, Waste Management and a host of other companies located throughout the City. Piano Music Center provided the piano for the school’s accompanists.
The panel of judges for this year’s Competition included: Tony Arroyo, Yvonne Barclay, Rafael deGuzman, Kevin Rutledge, Giselle Elgarresta Rios, Charles Vitale and Teresita Wessels.
