SEBASTIAN — The Singing Sharks choir from Sebastian River High School claimed first place and swept top awards at the Music in the Parks Festival Competition at Universal Orlando.
Directed by Larry J. Stanley, the group earned top honors in all four categories entered. They also took home the Esprit de Corps Trophy for outstanding behavior and spirit.
The festival draws choirs from schools across the nation to compete at the famous theme park.
The Shark Choir received an Excellent rating in the Mixed Choir category:
- Encore achieved first-place Superior ratings in the Renaissance Choir and Show Choir categories, highlighting the group’s excellence in these specialized categories.
- Harmonix took first-place Superior in the Jazz Choir category.
- Luciana Dettori won Best Soloist for her standout performance with Harmonix. That same group also claimed first place in the All-Around Best Choir.
The Esprit de Corps Trophy highlights more than musical skill. Judges assess decorum, discipline, attitude, behavior, and overall presentation from start to finish. Host school staff, directors and student workers picked the Singing Sharks as the top ensemble in these areas.
School leaders praised the group for showing strong character and school pride.
The Esprit de Corps award reflects not only musical excellence, but also professionalism and representation of Sebastian River High School.
The win marks another success for the choral program under Stanley’s direction.