A group of seven- and eight-year-old students from Lake Hill Elementary played their way to first place earlier this month in CBC’s annual Canadian Music Class Challenge.

Lake Hill’s Primary Orff Club won in the primary school instrumental category for their rendition of C’est l’aviron, a classic French-Canadian song. The placement earned the school $3,000 in new musical instruments and a golden plaque.

Yra Binstead, music teacher at Lake Hill Elementary, said it was a lot of fun and a huge accomplishment for the children.

“This is a good example of getting kids excited about music – in the Victoria school district there’s a high level of support for music, so the kids can actually learn how to play instruments and gain skills,” she said.

CBC hosts the challenge in association with Canada’s music education charity, MusiCounts. This year, teachers and students from every province and territory signed up to safely learn and perform their best version of a Canadian song on a variety of instruments.

Music instructors taught their students songs from a pre-approved list for a chance to win prizes for their music program.

Among the instruments Lake Hill students played were boomwhackers, xylophones, recorders and keyboards.

To watch the children rehearse prior to winning the grand prize on Dec. 14, visit the CBC Music Class Youtube channel.

Also placing in the competition were the Arbutus Middle School choir, who took third in the junior vocal category (Grades 7 to 10) with their version of Safe and Sound, and Fraser Campbell Music School, who received honourable mention in the category of Community/Independent/Private School Class for their performance of Salvation.

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