The Campus View out-of-school Orffestra are CBC Music Challenge national award winners.
The group made up of about 60 children in Grades 3 to 5, led by Campus View music teacher Jody Onuma, won the award in the elementary instrumental category for their orchestral rendition of Canadian musician Shawn Mendes’ hit
song Stitches.
“We were ecstatic to be selected,” Onuma said. “This group of students genuinely loves playing together and it is an honour to work with them and share in their love of music.”
The students chose to join the Orffestra music club and rehearse together one lunchtime per week. They play a rich variety of instruments for such a young group, including xylophones, ukuleles, soprano/alto recorders, a string bass, two violins, a flute and a piano.
“We have so much fun playing together and are grateful to CBC for this exciting opportunity to share our music with others across Canada,” Onuma said.
The national contest had over 500 video submissions from across Canada. Winners were announced Dec. 16. The band worked from the end of September on their cover of Stitches, which Onuma arranged.
The categories were instrumental or vocal/choral at the high school, junior high and elementary levels.
See the Campus View Orffestra’s performance of Stitches at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-FPjABQT5s and visit the CBC Music Challenge at http://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/17748/prep-winner-of-the-canadian-music-class-challenge.