Forty Mount Mercy Academy students, members of three musical groups, traveled to Anaheim, California in early April for a musical competition at Fullerton College. Eighty different groups from across the country competed in several different musical categories. Each group completed a 15-minute performance on Friday, April 7, and then on Saturday the results were announced at Disneyland during an evening ceremony.
Mount Mercy’s Pure Magic Show Choir, Magic Belles Handbell Choir and Women’s Choir each won the prized Gold Medals at the Heritage Music Festival. This was only the third time in the Mount Mercy’s rich musical history that all three groups won the gold in the same year.
Fred Kirisits, Mount Mercy’s longtime music teacher, led all three groups to their victories as the director. The Pure Magic Show Choir is comprised of 18 young women who not only sing but also dance. The group’s choreographer is Justine Kish- Podsiadlo, a 2005 Mount Mercy graduate.
The Magic Belles are no strangers to gold medals, earning a gold for an amazing 21st straight year. Fourteen young women combined to ring wonderful melodies to claim the medal.
The 29-member Women’s Choir, under the direction of Kirisits and accompanied by Krista Seddon, not only won a gold medal but was also invited to perform at the National Invitational Festival of Gold and the 2018-19 National Youth Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall. Sarah Luebke also helped coach the Women’s Choir during the year.
In addition to the competition, the group also found some time to enjoy themselves. They visited Universal Studios, Paramount Studios, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach and Hollywood.
