By AUBRIE GEORGE
They didn’t make it to the end, but a group of DeMasi Elementary School students was able to continue what is fast becoming a musical tradition in Marlton.
The DeMasi Elementary School Chorus was selected as a semi-finalist in this year’s B101 Christmas Choir Competition — a contest that the Cherokee High School Traveling Girls Choir took first place in last holiday season.
Out of hundreds of entries from schools throughout the Delaware Valley, choirs that are chosen as finalists are picked to go head-to-head each day with the winner advancing to the next round.
The songs are played during the B101 morning show and listeners have until midnight to vote for which one they think should win.
This year, the contest included two divisions allowing choirs in grades K-6 to compete in their own division and choirs in grades 7–12 to go up against each other.
DeMasi music teacher Megan D’Errico said the DeMasi Elementary School Chorus, which consists of about 40 students who meet after school to practice, decided to record and submit their rendition of “Merry Christmas Bells.”
The performance included fourth- and fifth-grade students singing in addition to a fifth grade hand bell chorus.
DeMasi’s submission made it to the semi-finalist round that included nine schools, but ended up losing to the Eleanor Rush Intermediate School Music Makers, a chorus from a Cinnaminson school that ended up winning the entire contest.
The winner of the high school division was scheduled to be announced early this week.
D’Errico said DeMasi’s chorus was flattered to have made it as far as they did, especially following a year when Cherokee took home the grand prize.
“We’re very grateful to have a school district and a community that supports the arts and, in particular, the music program,” D’Errico said. “Especially in light of state budget cuts, we’re still hanging on to the arts, and that’s rare.”
She said DeMasi’s chorus is aiming to enter the contest again next year.
“The kids were very excited to hear themselves, that was the biggest treat for them, so I can’t pass that up again,” D’Errico said. “They got to hear themselves on the radio and that was a pretty great prize.”
Winners in both divisions were slated to win a $5,000 award for their school’s music program as well as a chance to perform on stage at the Peter Nero and the Philly Pops Holiday Pops Show on Dec. 19.
