Eight high school choral ensembles took the stage on Saturday, March 2 to compete for a total of $5000 in prize monies at the Second Annual Easton Choral Arts Society (ECAS) High School Choral Competition at Easton High School in Easton, MD. The Competition was designed by ECAS to be an outreach to the youth of the region to instill the life-long pursuit of choral music – both as performers and as consumers.
This year’s First Place Winner ($2500) was Reservoir High School Chamber Choir; Second Place Winner ($1500) was Bel Air High School Counterpoints; and Third Place Winner ($1000) was Liberty High School Chorale. The prize monies are designated to benefit the choral music program in each recipient’s school. The winners also received trophy plaques, funded by Dr. Robert and Mrs. Cris Doughty, who were underwriters of both years of the Competition. The permanent trophy plaque and plaques given to the winners were designed in collaboration with Awards Engraving in Denton and crafted by McMartin & Beggins, Furniture Craftsmen in Wittman.
Reservoir High School Chamber Choir
The ensembles were judged by three judges, including Dr. Richard J. Giarusso of the Peabody Conservatory, the Johns Hopkins University, Chair of the Department of Musicology, Music Director – Georgetown Chorale, and Artistic Director – Voce Chamber Singers; Stephen Holmes, Towson University Lecturer and Interim Director of Choirs at Towson University and Artistic Director, Maryland State Boychoir; and Mrs. Phyllis Oldham, retired high school director, frequent adjudicator of the Eastern Shore Choral Festival, director of Salisbury Chamber Singers and Choir Director at Trinity UMC in Salisbury. The judges noted that the winning choral ensemble, Reservoir High School Chamber Choir, performed “Brilliant work!! This is collegiate repertoire with a collegiate sound!”
The Mission of the Easton Choral Arts Society is to bring great choral masterworks programs to audiences on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The organization’s vision is to contribute to the cultural life of the community by providing a volunteer organization to local singers who are committed to the challenge of choral music repertoire study and quality public performance. Easton Choral Arts Society believes in the power of music and its ability to meaningfully contribute to a rich and satisfying life experience for mature and young people alike. Learn more about ECAS at eastonchoralarts.com.
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