The best overall choir award was presented to a local singer and choir teacher, along with the choir she's a member of, at the world's most prestigious musical event.

Twelve choirs from nine countries attended the festival. Kristel Peters, along with the Winnipeg Singers, directed by Yuri Klaz, were the lone North American representative and were presented with the David Award at the Florence International Choir Festival.

Kristel Peters with the two gold medals and the David Award won at the Florence International Choir Festival. (Photo credit: Karen Peters)Peters notes while in Europe the Winnipeg Singers also performed in Rothenberg, Regensburg and Munich, Germany, Salzburg Cathedral in Austria and Venice, Italy before arriving at the festival in Florence which ran from July 20-22. After the festival, the group also travelled to Rome for a final performance. Peters says while the group met in Frankfurt on July 9 to start their tour, she went a little earlier to see Prague, a destination she can now check off her bucket list.

When they arrived in Florence and the festival began Peters recalls they didn't know what to expect. She says there were six jury members and they participated in three categories: Sacred Music, Chamber Choirs and Popular, Folk, Gospel, Barbershop Ensembles. 

"In the folk song we placed, but not first because there were these amazing choirs from Indonesia and China who had phenomenal costumes and choreography and just crazy folk songs that us Canadians can't compete with. So they killed it in that category, but we really enjoyed ourselves and to watch the other performers."

Peters says they won gold in the Sacred Music and Chamber Choirs categories and were presented with the best overall choir award, the David Award.

"It's just really great to feel that your work has been acknowledged. We're all professionals in different areas of our lives, we're all singers and a lot of us are professional singers on the side, or we do performances, and to come together as a group and really work towards a goal was a really great experience."

Peters has had a love of singing and music her entire life and sang in the Winnipeg Mennonite Children's Choir, University Singers, and Prairie Voices, to name a few. Peters has toured in North America and Europe and is currently the choir teacher at Steinbach Regional Secondary School.

The Winnipeg Singers and six jury members during the Florence International Choir Festival. (Photo credit: Karen Peters)