This winter, Lenape High School’s concert choir will be performing for a much larger audience than the one at its holiday concert on Dec. 18.
The choir was selected as one of 15 finalists for NJ 101.5’s 2014 Christmas Choir contest. The school’s rendition of “Carol of the Bells” will be played on the air on Friday, Dec. 19.
The radio station selected 15 finalists from across New Jersey. Each weekday in December, one school’s holiday song is played. Voters then have an opportunity to vote for the school after the song is played. After all 15 schools have their chance to be played on the radio, the votes are tallied and winners will be announced.
Brendan Moore, the choral director at Lenape, thought the concert would be a fun way for students to ring in the holiday season.
The choir was permitted to perform any song it wished. After getting input from the students, the decision was to sing “Carol of the Bells.”
“It was actually the kids’ suggestion,” Moore said. “They had mentioned they wanted to do this song. We have a student in the choir who’s an excellent beat boxer.”
The choir gathered after school one afternoon to record the song. The process was very informal. Moore asked fellow music department faculty member Len Nicholas to record the song on his laptop for submission.
“We recorded right in the choir room with a microphone and a laptop,” Moore said. “There was no major editing. It was pretty much how it sounded.”
The students found out they were selected as a finalist just a few days ago. Moore didn’t even hear the news from the radio station. He heard it from another faculty member at Lenape’s sister high school, Cherokee High School, which was also selected as a finalist in the same contest.
“He told me congratulations on being selected as a finalist,” Moore said. “I didn’t even realize it. I went on the 101.5 website and found out we were indeed a finalist in the contest.”
Moore feels Lenape has an advantage going last because the choir has been able to promote the contest through the school community. They plan to intensify their efforts as Dec. 19 approaches.
“As soon as I found out, I had it put up on the Lenape homepage,” Moore said. “I had it put on the weekly announcements. When it comes to the week of the contest, I plan on sending a mass email to the faculty.”
The top vote getters in the high school category will receive $1,000. In addition, the overall highest vote getter will receive a piano. If Lenape wins any prizes, they will go to the music department.
Regardless of the outcome, Moore said being selected as a finalist is something the students should be proud of.
“I think they’ve done a wonderful job,” he said. “Even if we don’t win, it’s really good for my students to have justification that they were finalists.”
Lenape’s song will be played at noon on Dec. 19. Voters will have until noon on Dec. 20 to vote for the school.
To vote for Lenape and hear their performance, visit nj1015.com/2014-nj1015-christmas-choir-contest-schedule on Dec. 19. The winner will be announced on Dec. 22.
