The winners of the 2007 Eastern Shore Choral Society’s fourth annual Edna Traccarella Voice Scholarships were announced recently.

Fifteen high school singers from Baldwin County entered this year’s competition.

The judges were Scott Speck, music director of the Mobile Symphony; Charmein Moser, president of the board of directors for the Mobile Singing Children; and Phyllis Dye, a university level instructor in both voice and piano.

The first-place winner was Melinda Price, a junior at Spanish Fort High School, who won $500 to apply to private voice lessons or summer music camp.

Price performed “Per la gloria d’adorarvi,” by Giovanni Bononcini. She was accompanied by Karen Middlebusher.

Price is a voice student of Marjorie Searcy, and plans to major in vocal performance and music education in college. She will perform a solo at the Eastern Shore Choral Society’s Christmas concert in December of 2007.

Price is the daughter of Marilyn and Randall Price of Daphne.

The second-place winner was Kristin Percy, a junior at Daphne High School and voice student of Bonnie Jean Early, who won $400. Percy performed “Il mio bel foco,” by Benedetto Marcello, and she was accompanied by Val Early.

Megan Puckett won $300 as the third-place winner. Puckett, a junior at Fairhope High School, sang “Amarilli, mia bella” by Giulio Caccini, and was accompanied by her voice teacher, Mary Katherine Kilgore.

The two honorable mentions recipients were Christopher Winston, a junior at Daphne High School, who performed “Alma del core,” by Antonio Caldara, and Mallory Searcy, a home-schooled freshman, who performed “I Attempt from Love’s Sickness to Fly,” by Henry Purcell.

Joyce Sylvester, adjunct instructor of vocal studies at the University of South Alabama and the University of Mobile, offered an additional award of complimentary voice lessons with her this summer to the winners and honorable mentions recipients of this year’s contest.

Dr. Jane Blaum, chairperson of the voice scholarship competition complimented “the outstanding talent and quality of performance” from this year’s singers.

The vocal competition continues to grow each year. Next year’s competition will be held in the spring of 2008.

The competition was named for the late Edna Traccarella, founder of the Eastern Shore Choral Society, who envisioned this competition as a way to nurture budding vocal talent in Baldwin County.