handed out in V105.5 caroling competition

Nearly 1,000 people packed City Auditorium Saturday night to hear talent at the fifth annual V105.5 Christmas Caroling Contest.

At the end of the night, eight single or groups performing a variety of styles took home trophies and a total of $10,700 in cash prizes.

“I think the talent is the best we’ve had overall,” said Mark Jones, owner of V105.5 WVBG, which sponsors the event.

“Everybody was good. There wasn’t anybody in the preliminaries who wasn’t good.”

Jones was master of ceremony, along with Kelley Massey, the former Miss Vicksburg 1987 and 1992.

Seventy contestants signed up to compete this year in three nights of preliminaries, and 23 finalists emerged to perform Saturday.

Top prizes for each group division was $1,000 and $500 for runners-up. The soloist divisions each took home a grand prize of $200 and $100 for the runners-up.

This year’s contest featured returning winners, the Vicksburg Intermediate Young Singers and 13-year-old soloist Marquis Goodwin. Marquis sang “The Best Gift of All,” and the Young Singers sang “Peace on This Silent Night” and “Rockin Rudy.”

“I was very proud of them,” said Young Singers choir director Lou Ann Dykes. “We’ve been in it since the beginning. I think this is the most talented group we’ve had all together.”

Other solo winners include 9-year-old Peyton Pierce, who sang “With Bells On,” and Nedra Smith, who sang “White Christmas.”

In the church division, Cedar Grove M.B. Church Mass Choir took home their category’s top prize with “How Majestic.”

The Alcorn State University Men Chorale sang “Advent” accompanied by Russian violinist Anton Zholodz, and “Amen” to win in their division.

Other winners include the Warren Central Junior High choir, which sang “Merry Christmas Mozart” and Christmas Kumbaya,” and the Bovina second-grade choir, which choreographed finger snaps and body twists to their song, “Blitzen’s Boogie.”

All music recorded at Saturday’s contest will be played during V105.5 Playback Show set to begin at noon Christmas Eve.

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The winners

The victors in Saturday night’s choral competitions:

Division 1 — Skilled High School and College Choirs

Winner — Alcorn State University Men Chorale

Runner-up — Warren Central Madrigals

Runner-up — The Clefs from Hinds Community College

Division 2 — Teen Soloists and Small Groups

Winner — Marquis Goodwin

Runner-up — Whitney Rexroad

Runner-up — Ethan Sumrall

Runner-up — Tessa Scandizzo

Division 3 — Junior High/High School Choirs and Musicians

Winner — Warren Central Junior High

Runner-up — Veritas Christian School string ensemble

Runner-up — Vicksburg High School choir

Division 4 — Tween Choir and Musicians (fourth-seventh grade)

Winner — Vicksburg Intermediate Young Singers

Runne-up — Redwood fifth- and sixth-grade honor choir

Runner-up — Bovina fifth- and sixth-grade choir

Division 5 — Lower Elementary Choirs

Winner — Bovina second-grade choir

Runner-up —  Bowmar first- and second-grade choir,

Runner-up — Redwood second-grade Christmas choir

Division 6 — Adult Soloist

Winner — Nedra Smith

Runner-up — Jacqueline Bateman

Runner-up — United Voices of Service

Division 7 — Children’s Soloist

Winner — Peyton Pierce

Runner-up — Ashton Ghrigsby

Division 8 — Church Choir

Winner — Cedar Grove M.B. Church mass choir

Runner-up — Mount Zion No. 1 M.B. Church

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com