Christmas Carol Composition Contest 2011
Sponsored by The Valdosta Choral Guild
~ May I Have the Envelope Please!!!! ~
Our judges have been extremely busy sorting through mailbags full of Christmas Carol Contest entries. Our own Kay Vincent broke two nails banging out each song for the judges on her toy piano.
(Drums roll in the background) Our third place winner is Mario Bartoletti for his Christmas Carol, a song he wrote for his college sweetheart who is now his lovely wife. It’s a wonderful song Mario. I love the bass part. It has character. It would be nice if you can come and hear us perform it for you and Lili. I hope we do you proud!
Second place goes to… (Drum roll ending in rim shot) Peter Johns for Come See The Mystery.
And First Place, over about a gazillion entries <what a bonfire that’s going to be!!> goes to (Drum roll and cacophony of blaring out of tune trumpets) for a moving lullaby, Sleep Now, by Peter Johns. How nice to have Joseph included in a song!!
(Drums roll in the background) Our third place winner is Mario Bartoletti for his Christmas Carol, a song he wrote for his college sweetheart who is now his lovely wife. It’s a wonderful song Mario. I love the bass part. It has character. It would be nice if you can come and hear us perform it for you and Lili. I hope we do you proud!
Second place goes to… (Drum roll ending in rim shot) Peter Johns for Come See The Mystery.
And First Place, over about a gazillion entries <what a bonfire that’s going to be!!> goes to (Drum roll and cacophony of blaring out of tune trumpets) for a moving lullaby, Sleep Now, by Peter Johns. How nice to have Joseph included in a song!!
~ Alfreda E. Newman, Editor in Chief
~ And the Winners Are!!!! ~
~ Peter Johns grew up in Norwich, England and has been involved in music from a young age. He graduated in 1993 with a Creative Arts degree in Music Composition and Performance, having also earned a minor in Contemporary Theater, from Nottingham Trent University in England. While there, he was the first music student awarded a scholarship to study Composition and Orchestration at Vysoká Škola Múzických Umení in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 1998, he was honored as a semi-finalist in the National Association of Christian Artists and Song Writers’ annual song writing competition.
Peter moved from the U.K. to Texas in 1994 to work with the United Methodist Church. Whilst there he composed two major choral works, and also collaborated with the Contemporary Music Ensemble at Texas Tech University. He has been on staff at Chapelwood United Methodist Church since 2001 where he has been composing works for the Chancel Choir, the Children’s Choirs and other music ensembles. His Requiem was performed by the Rice University Chorale in 2009. He is currently working on many projects, including a major choral work utilizing texts taken from, and inspired by, the Carmina Gadelica – a collection of ancient Celtic prayers. He proudly became a U.S. citizen in 2010.
Peter moved from the U.K. to Texas in 1994 to work with the United Methodist Church. Whilst there he composed two major choral works, and also collaborated with the Contemporary Music Ensemble at Texas Tech University. He has been on staff at Chapelwood United Methodist Church since 2001 where he has been composing works for the Chancel Choir, the Children’s Choirs and other music ensembles. His Requiem was performed by the Rice University Chorale in 2009. He is currently working on many projects, including a major choral work utilizing texts taken from, and inspired by, the Carmina Gadelica – a collection of ancient Celtic prayers. He proudly became a U.S. citizen in 2010.
~ Dr. Mario Bartoletti was born in Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents. He began taking violin lessons at age 5 and excelled in private instruction. In high school, he played in the first violin section in the school orchestra and participated in the Verdugo Violin Quartet for two years. He began composing in high school and continued in the Navy where he assisted with entertainment programs for the wounded and composed several ballads for use in the hospital shows. Later, in graduate school, he played violin with the University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.
Since retiring in Valdosta with his wife Lili, they have become active with the Opera Board and are supporters of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra. He also assists in the South Georgia String Project taught by Lauren Burns, a VSU faculty member.
Dr. Bartoletti’s “Christmas Carol” was composed in November of 1954 as a Christmas gift for his college sweetheart, Lili Lavallee. After they were married, that Christmas song was part of their family Christmas celebrations all the years that their daughters were growing up. “It has always had a deep significance in our family – most especially for Lili and me.”
Since retiring in Valdosta with his wife Lili, they have become active with the Opera Board and are supporters of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra. He also assists in the South Georgia String Project taught by Lauren Burns, a VSU faculty member.
Dr. Bartoletti’s “Christmas Carol” was composed in November of 1954 as a Christmas gift for his college sweetheart, Lili Lavallee. After they were married, that Christmas song was part of their family Christmas celebrations all the years that their daughters were growing up. “It has always had a deep significance in our family – most especially for Lili and me.”
