Daniel Lapp’s B.C. Fiddle Orchestra was victorious Wednesday in the 2022 Canadian Music Class Challenge, winning top prize in its category with a version of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold.
The teens were among the finalists in 11 categories competing for prizes in the eighth annual contest, which is run by CBC Music and MusiCounts.
The orchestra, which won in the community/independent/private school category, is part of the Chwyl Family School of Contemporary Music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where Lapp is the artistic director.
With the win, the orchestra receives $1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
“There is so much joy on the faces of these students as they perform, and that joy comes across clearly in the sound that they produce,” Juno-nominated judge Jasmine Denham said in a statement.
“I absolutely loved the arrangement of this song, the confidence and tone of voice of the soloist, the harmonies and the excellent teamwork that was displayed by this group. Well done!”
The national contest was open to music students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Two other classes from Victoria and one each from Comox and Nanaimo also made the top 10 in their respective categories.
École Robb Road Elementary of Comox placed second this year in the primary instrumental (Kindergarten to Grade 3) category.
