The final three contestants in the 2017 A Cappella & Unplugged competition are scheduled to perform one last time in the finals on July 15 at 7pm. The finalists are Tiana Webber of Shippensburg, Dominik Wiesniewski of Waynesboro and Elly Cooke of Gettysburg. Each brought their own individual style of music and performance to the competition, that began in May.
Over two dozen performers began the journey in May with auditions at the Capitol Theatre. These three finalists performed among sixteen others in Round 1 and recently scored the highest amount of likes and votes on Facebook during the online Round 2.
These musicians will perform again on the evening of July 15 at 7pm as part of the festivities leading up to 1864 before a single champion is crowned. The final round will be performed before 1864 on the courthouse steps, and will be a combination of both in-person voting and online voting via the Franklin County Visitors Bureau’s Facebook page.
Over the past several years, 1864 – the light show and story of the ransoming, burning and rebirth of Chambersburg – attracted thousands of visitors. It showed the local events that were part of national history. Moving out of the 150th commemoration of the Civil War, celebrating the people, who rebuilt Chambersburg, is a main focus. The musical competition is a way of celebrating those people and their incredible spirit.
“1864 The Burning commemorates Franklin County’s history,” said Janet Pollard, executive director of the Franklin County Visitors Bureau. “A Cappella & Unplugged celebrates the spirit of the people, who brought Chambersburg to life after the burning. What better way to uplift and remember than with music.”
In addition to the grand prize, the champion will perform in front of thousands of people on the steps of the Franklin County Courthouse to open the 1864 light show.
The 2015 winner of A Cappella & Unplugged was “A World Apart,” featuring siblings Taylor Piper and Kristopher Potter of Mercersburg. Last year’s winners were Kate & Isaac, a duo from Waynesboro.
