SILER CITY, N.C. — Seven local students — two soloists and one five-member band — took top prizes last night in Sing and Play ’26, the eighth-annual student music competition at Jordan-Matthews High School. From auditions through the showcase concert, the event is designed as an educational experience for young musicians and a fun benefit concert for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation.

Audience members voted Mariah McCrimmon of Virginia Cross Elementary School as best performance in the elementary division for her vocal rendition of “Read All About It,” a song by Emeli Sandé, written with Stephen Manderson, Tom Barnes, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher and Iain James.

Eleanor Hueske of Margaret B. Pollard Middle School finished on top of the middle school competition with her vocal performance of “Rolling in the Deep,” a song by Adele, written with Paul Epworth.

And in the high school competition, Keylor and the Chipettes of Jordan-Matthews High School took the prize for “Creep,” a song by Radiohead with Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Members of the band are Hernan Cortez, Griselda Escobar Umanzor, Titiana Eliana Escobar Umanzor, Sarah Preciado and Keylor Ureña-Seceña.

The winner in each of the three divisions received a $50 prize.

“I’m thrilled with the tremendous talent and the tremendous support our whole community showed to our students and their love of making music,” said Rose Pate, president of JMArts. “This event really was a showcase — and a great evening of family entertainment.”

All money raised by the competition is used by JMArts to expand opportunity for high school artists. That includes JMArts Scholars, the nonprofit’s flagship initiative that allows high school actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists to study over the summer — usually at weeklong, residential workshops on university campuses. Since being launched in 2012, JMArts Scholars program has awarded 113 scholarships to 79 students.

This year’s receipts were designated for the JMArts-Summer Soria Mora Scholarships to honor the memory of the Jordan-Matthews musician who passed away earlier this year.

Musicians from Chatham County and across the state were eligible for Sing and Play. Contestants in the showcase concert were selected during open auditions by judges Greg Burriss, Gina Harrison and Sandra Lopez.

Pate expects “Sing and Play” to return next year with registration for auditions opening sometime around December 1. JMArts is already looking at possible dates for next year’s competition, which is likely to be held once again in mid- to late-February.

More information about “Sing and Play” and other arts events scheduled this season is available at jmarts.org. Photos from this year's showcase concert are online at facebook.com/JMHSArts.

# # # #