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Coral Reef High won grand prize, senior high full choir.

Florida Christian Middle won grand prize, middle school large choir (tie)

Florida Christian Senior won grand prize, senior high small ensemble

Hialeah High won grand prize, senior high show choir.

Crowds filled the seats every night in front of the 550 Biltmore Way Building.

South Miami Middle won grand prize, middle school full choir (tie).

Event founder Sally Baumgartner welcomes guests to the Caroling Competition. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Gulliver Academy received honorable mention, middle school, full choir. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Crowds enjoy the Caroling Competition at the 550 Biltmore Way Building. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Judges for middle school competition: Kevin Rutledge, Teresita Wessels, Yvonne Barclay, Adele De Los Santos and Charles Vitale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Holiday music lovers enjoyed the sounds of the season at the 26th annual Caroling Competition, which featured school choirs performing on the steps of the 550 Biltmore Way Building in Coral Gables.

Presented again by Holtz Children’s Hospital, the competition was held Wednesday, Nov. 28, and continued through Sunday, Dec. 2. Winning choirs returned Tuesday evening, Dec. 4, for a short program and to accept their awards.

Twenty-two choirs from middle and senior high schools (public and private) in Miami-Dade and Broward counties competed for approximately $20,000 cash awards. This year’s winners:

Middle School Full Choir

Grand prize (tie): Florida Christian School, South Miami Middle School

Honorable mention: Gulliver Academy

Middle School Small Ensemble

Runner-up: St. Thomas the Apostle School

Senior High Full Choir

Grand prize: Coral Reef Senior High School

Runner-up: Everglades Senior High School

Honorable mention (tie): Coral Gables Senior High School and Ronald Reagan Doral Senior High School

Senior High Small Ensemble

Grand prize: Florida Christian School

Honorable Mention: Archbishop Curly Notre Dame

Senior High Show Choir

Grand prize: Hialeah Senior High School

Continuo Arts Newcomer

St. Thomas the Apostle School

Rotary Music Award

South Miami Middle School

Organized and produced by the Merrick Festival, the competition was made possible through the support of 25 local foundations, municipal organizations, corporations and local businesses, and with the support of the Coral Gables Cultural Development Board and Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs.

In addition to Holtz Children’s Hospital, the 2012 title sponsor, other sponsors included Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables, Finser Corp., Cartier International, Publix Supermarkets, Rotary Club of Coral Gables and Waste Management. In the spirit of the season, Yamaha Music Center provided the red piano for the schools’ accompanists.

Judges for this year’s competition were:

• Antonio “Tony” Arroyo, member of several choirs who participated in numerous competitions throughout the country.

• Yvonne Barclay, a multifaceted musician who played with the Ibanez Chamber Music Group, the Miami Symphony and the Orquestral Cuzco

• Judie Berger, who taught music in Miami-Dade Public Schools for 20 years and was inducted into the Music Educators’ Association Hall of Fame

• Coreen Duffy, who serves on the musicology faculty at the University of Miami Frost School of Music and is completing her doctor of musical arts degree from USC.

• Kevin Rutledge, three-time Teacher of the Year who has served as director of the Inner City Children’s Choir and the Greater Miami Boy’s Choir and is music director for the Universal Truth Center

• Adele de los Santos, a competition judge since 1992 and a Miami-Dade Public Schools teacher for 34 years

• Charles Vitale, who taught music and science in Miami-Dade Public Schools for 35 years before retiring in 2011

• Teresita Wessels, who participated in musical events and with children’s choruses in South Africa, Mexico, Nigeria, New York and Holland and is a member of the choir at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.