Choir Clash winners take home $1,000 prize

By Lawren Shepard
Campus Life Editor

On March 4, high school choirs from across the state came to UNCP to sing it out in the first annual Choir Clash.

Each choir was judged on their performance and ranked against the other groups.

“We’ve learned confidence, we’ve learned to relax and have fun,” said Summer Jones, a sophomore at Cape Fear High School, one of the several schools that competed in the Clash.

Dr. Gary Wright, associate professor and coordinator of vocal activities for the music department, planned and supervised the event.

The competition went off without a hitch, according to Wright. The first place winners of each division won a $1,000 prize.

There were two separate divisions, one for large choirs of 25 or more performers and one for smaller groups of 24 or fewer performers.

The winners of the large choir division were: first place, East Rowan High School, directed by Dean Orbison; second place, Pinecrest High School, directed by Torin Wright; and third place, South Johnston High School, directed by Phyllis Toothman.

The winners of the small choir division were: first place, Southwest Randolph HS, directed by Gwen Hall; second place, Cape Fear HS, directed by Jason Britt; and third place, EE Smith, directed by Sharon McNair.

Wright said he hopes that more schools will participate in the future.