The City of Champions does it again. The Edmonton Swiss Men's Choir received top marks last Saturday in the choir competitions of the North American Swiss Singing Alliance Festival.

The festival held this year in New Glarus and Monroe, Wisconsin from Thursday, June 12 to Sunday June 15, 2003 is a triennial event in which choirs from the Eastern United States, Ontario and Alberta participate.

The competition part of the festival took the form of a concert in which each choir sang one composition. The adjudicating team consisted of three qualified singing professionals from Switzerland, the United States and Canada. The Edmonton Swiss Men's Choir competed in two categories this year, the male choir and the yodel choir categories so sang two competition pieces and received gold prize marks for each performance.

Two other Alberta Yodel Choirs from Calgary and Central Alberta each received the second and third place awards respectively. The three Alberta choirs beat all the other choirs from Canada and the United States taking four of the five gold prizes awarded at this year's festival. The members of the Edmonton Swiss Men's Choir were overjoyed and pleased to receive the two highest marks awarded.

The photograph was taken after the award ceremony and shows the choir with their director, Elizabeth Anderson all surrounding the choir flag carrying the two laurel wreaths signifying their wins. Edmonton is still the City of Champions, not only in sports but in cultural areas as well and the Edmonton Swiss Men's Choir is pleased to do its part in maintaining that name.

Walter C. Meyer