June 2016- Cincinnati, Ohio - Saint Ursula Academy is proud of the members of the Saint Ursula Academy Vocal Ensemble (SUAVE) for top finishes in two recent regional vocal competitions.
SUAVE performed in the Music in the Parks competition at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, KY on Saturday, May 14.
SUAVE merited:
• The prestigious Esprit de Corps Award
• Superior rating in the women's choir division & 1st place trophy
• Superior rating in the jazz choir division & 1st place trophy
• The Overall High School Choral Award for scoring the highest number of points of all high school choirs competing
• Outstanding soloist awards to Dominique DiFalco and Catherine Besl
“Winning the "Esprit de Corps" Award was really amazing!” said SUA and SUAVE Music Director Kathy Backherms. “This is a first for SUAVE since we began competing in 1995 and I am so proud of these girls. Their hard work really showed!”
The Esprit de Corps Award is "Presented to students from a school who demonstrated proper social behavior as well as musical behavior/encouragement. They possess the qualities of highly successful people who are sensitive to the feelings of others and applaud accomplishments no matter if by one’s own school or another school. Evaluation has taken place from arrival at the festival site to the awards presentation. All schools are eligible for this award, but only one group will have the honor of taking this trophy with them back to their school."
While in Louisville, SUAVE also participated in the "Trills and Thrills" Music Festival in the Jazz Choir category, meriting:
• Superior rating, with scores of 98 and 100 from the judges!
Saint Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. Saint Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Academy has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2016 earned college scholarship offers totaling more than $22-million. ###