Here are the winners of the 2023 Canadian Music Class Challenge
Check out the winning classes from every age category
The winners are here! The 2023 Canadian Music Class Challenge saw another year of incredible performances, impressive musicality and inspiring teamwork. Music classes from across the country submitted their very best instrumental and vocal renditions of pre-approved songs for the chance to win top prizes. After much deliberation, our judges have chosen the winning classes from tens of thousands of Canadian music students.
Check out all the first-place winners here:
On behalf of everyone at CBC Music and MusiCounts, congratulations to our winners, and a heartfelt thank you to all the music teachers and students who took part in this year's challenge. We received an overwhelming amount of entries this year, and it's a great salute to the importance of music education in this country.
Check out the entire list of winners below.
Category 1: Primary Vocal (kindergarten to Grade 3)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Saint John Fisher Senior Elementary School from Pointe-Claire, Que., performing "Turning the Tide" by Luke Wallace.
Judge's comments: "This video captured my ears and heart right from the opening chorus. The musicality displayed through your vocals, as well as all of your instruments, shows a great degree of skill and teamwork for such a large group, especially with it being your first time performing the song all together! The fact that you accompanied yourselves and took on the challenge to learn all of those parts is very impressive." — Victoria Duffield, Canadian artist.
Second place (plaque): École Robb Road Elementary School from Comox, B.C., performing "Flowers Need Rain" by Preston Pablo, Banx & Ranx.
Third place (plaque): John D. Parker Junior School from Toronto, performing "Máhsi ts'enįwę" by Leela Gilday.
Category 2: Elementary Instrumental (grades 4-6)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Suzuki Charter School from Edmonton, performing "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf.
Judge's comments: "Your performance was upbeat and dynamic! Each of you deserve a big high-five. Performing together and playing different instruments is hard but you all make it look and sound easy. Congratulations to you and your teacher for a job well done." — Emily Tam, music teacher and CBC Music administrative assistant.
Second place (plaque): St. Elizabeth Seton School from Calgary, performing "Share the Land" by the Guess Who.
Third place (plaque): Nesbitt Elementary School from Montreal, performing "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.
Category 3: Elementary Vocal (grades 4-6)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School from Vancouver, performing "Turning the Tide" by Luke Wallace.
Judge's comments: "From the opening sweet choral phrases to the cello's gorgeous concluding notes, I was captivated by the beauty of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School's rendition of 'Turning the Tide.' My breathing slowed and I let the magical combination of soloists and choral blend wash over me. Congratulations to the choir, soloists, cellist and especially the music teacher, Jeeyeon Chung, for the school's very musical contribution to the CBC Music Class Challenge. It was a treat to listen to your entry." — Kelly Galbraith, CBC Music producer and choral conductor.
Second place (plaque): Essex Public School & Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative School from Toronto, performing "Turning the Tide" by Luke Wallace.
Third place (plaque): Bancroft Elementary School from Montreal, performing "Flowers Need Rain" by Preston Pablo, Banx & Ranx.
Category 4: Junior Instrumental (grades 7-10)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School and Dr. Robert Plaxton Elementary from Lethbridge, Alta., performing "If it Feels Good Do It" by Sloan.
Judge's comments: "What a super video and how excellent to see your whole school involved! Loved the ribbon section, who added visual sparkle to your brilliant performance. You guys have soul, and the joy and excitement of playing together was palpable. Shout-out to the groovy bass player — you rocked!" — Julie Nesrallah, opera singer and CBC Music host of Tempo.
Second place (plaque): Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary from Vancouver, performing "I Am a Pizza" by Charlotte Diamond.
Third place (plaque): Capitol Hill Elementary School from Burnaby, B.C., performing "Máhsi ts'enįwę" by Leela Gilday.
Category 5: Junior Vocal (grades 7-10)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Arbutus Global Middle School from Victoria, performing "Share the Land" by the Guess Who.
Judge's comments: "A big congratulations to the students and staff who worked hard to bring this level of performance and professionalism together for this exciting project. Your clever arrangement allowed for both singers and instrumentalists to shine and I loved the nod to [Johann] Pachelbel! Your bright faces drew us into the storytelling! Arbutus Global Middle School, you should be very proud! You left it all on the floor with heart, poise and confidence in this wonderful performance! Way to go!" — Heidi Wood, choral director at Joane Cardinal Schubert High School in Calgary.
Second place (plaque): Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School from Hamilton, performing "My Mind at Ease" by Dominique Fils-Aimé.
Third place (plaque): Heritage Regional High School from Saint-Hubert, Que., performing "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.
Category 6: Senior Instrumental (grades 11-12)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Lisgar Collegiate Institute from Ottawa, performing "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Judge's comments: "This high-energy performance gave me goosebumps and made me want to listen again and again. I am so impressed by this creative arrangement for mixed instrumentation, and I love how it provided opportunities for so many students to shine! The soft sections created a beautiful contrast so that the big moments were even more effective. Congratulations to everyone involved, it is clear this was a true community effort!" — Cait Nishimura, composer and educator.
Second place (plaque): R.A. McMath Secondary from Richmond, B.C., performing "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Third place (plaque): Evan Hardy Collegiate Institute from Saskatoon, performing "Share the Land" by the Guess Who.
Category 7: Senior Vocal (grades 11-12)
Winner ($3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Mayfield Secondary School from Caledon, Ont., performing "I See You" by Tyler Shaw.
Judge's comments: "Congratulations to everyone involved for such a joyous performance. From the moment the music started, I was hooked. I loved how solo and group voices were woven together. Your voices aligned together as one, expressing pure emotion and heart. I wanted to put your recording on repeat because it just made me smile, and we need more of that in the world." — Hussein Jammohamed, music educator.
Second place (plaque): Calgary Arts Academy from Calgary, performing "If It Feels Good Do It" by Sloan.
Third place (plaque): Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School from Calgary, performing "Solid" by Savannah Ré.
Category 8: Community/Independent/Private Music School
Winner ($1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Strathcona Tweedsmuir School from Calgary, performing "Passionfruit" by Drake.
Judge's comments: "I can't stop listening to this performance! Strathcona Tweedsmuir are bringing all the vibes with this rendition of 'Passionfruit,' and I hope Drake gets to hear it because it is that good. Just look at the guitar player, he's feeling the groove all the way through! The arrangement of this song captures the essence of the original song while adding a fresh twist. The instrumentation offers a moment for each of the musicians to shine, and showcases their ability to perfectly sync together while they nail the dynamics. It's just brilliant! — Jasmine Denham, Juno-nominated songwriter and CBC Music producer.
Second place (plaque): Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy (Saxophone Ensemble) from Ottawa, performing "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Category 9: Public Library Music Program
Winner($1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque):Pembroke Public Library from Pembroke, Ont., performing "I Am a Pizza" by Charlotte Diamond.
Judge's comments: "Congratulations to the winners of our first ever public library category! What an adorable and creative performance that showcases your library and gives us a taste of the programming available. I loved how the children sang together and expressed their enthusiasm for the song while they performed. The crafty costumes were a nice touch, too!" — Jasmine Denham.
Category 10: Top Non-live-off-the-floor Performance
Winner ($1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute from Guelph, Ont., performing "If It Feels Good Do It" by Sloan.
Judge's comments: "I am absolutely flabbergasted every single time I watch this video. I am astounded at the quality of the band performance, the audio recording, the acting, and the music video production! Everything about this entry is professional level and I would nominate this video for a video award if I could! Bravo." — Jasmine Denham.
Second place (plaque): West Carleton Secondary School from Ottawa, performing "Share the Land" by the Guess Who.
Honourable mentions:
- Collège Jeanne Sauvé from Winnipeg, performing "Flowers Need Rain" by Preston Pablo, Banx & Ranx.
- Second Street Community School (Mr. Bell's Class) from Burnaby, B.C., performing "Great One" by Jessie Reyez.
Indigenous Language Prize (for Leela Gilday's 'Máhsi ts'enįwę')
Winner ($1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque): École Félix Leclerc from Longueil, Que., performing "Máhsi ts'enįwę" by Leela Gilday.
Judge's comments: "Congratulations, a spirited performance with great harmonies and an excellent command of the Dene Kede language." — Kai Black, executive producer of the Canadian Music Class Challenge.
MusiCounts Band-Aid Passion Prize
A prize awarded to one entry from all submissions demonstrating the most spirited and fun-filled, joyous music performance, regardless of musical ability, as determined by the judging panel, using standard approaches to music education (concert band, orchestra, choral, guitar/ukulele, Orff Schulwerk, etc.)
Winner ($5,000 in new musical instruments): W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Brantford, Ont., performing "Flowers Need Rain" by Preston Pablo, Banx & Ranx.
MusiCounts Innovation Passion Prize
A prize awarded to one entry from all submissions of a performance that showcases the diversity of what music education in Canada can look like, through a technology-forward performance (hip-hop, beatmaking, electronic music, etc.), or showcasing culturally specific musical instruments and traditions.
Winner ($5,000 in new musical instruments): Nakoda Elementary School from Morley, Alta., performing "Passionfruit" by Drake.
Congratulations again to all of these victorious classes and music teachers, and to every single student and teacher who took part in the challenge this year! Long live Canadian music education.
Questions? Email us at musicclass@cbc.ca. Happy holidays, keep practising, and see you next year!