Two Bucks County High Schools — Both With Singers of Note — Are Finalists in B101 Christmas Choir Competition

Two Bucks County school choirs scaled numerous competitors to rest on finalist positions in the 2021 B101 Christmas Choir Competition. The winner — decided by listener votes — will be announced tomorrow, Dec. 10.

Singers from Council Rock High School North, Newtown, and Neshaminy High School, Langhorne, are both eagerly anticipating the outcome.

Council Rock, under the direction of Ryan Carlin, entered with an unusual arrangement of “Joy to the World”

“It was commissioned for North,” he said. “We did the world premier of it.”

The piece features an impressive solo by Amanda Lapinski, a senior student and choir president.

Choir members and their director are eager for a repeat win, having captured the top spot in 2020.

The Neshaminy choir, directed by Kristin Nichols, is also a veteran winner of the musical match-up. It won the 2011 and 2017 editions.

Its performance of “What Christmas Means to Me” is based on a Pentatonix cover of a Stevie Wonder song.

Nichols left the entry-song decision to her singers, and 10th grader Gianna Loram suggested the tune and lobbied hard for it.

The recording, says Nichols, was done in the school’s choir room, but synching it for video was difficult.

“We needed multiple takes to have it all work out,” Nichols said.

The accompaniment also added a beat box, performed by Loram.

Voting in the B101 Christmas Choir Competition is online.

The winning school receives $5,000 toward its music program and the opportunity to perform with the Philly Pops at the Kimmel Center.