A Canyon High School choir group sang their way to a $1,700 first-place cash prize at a recent a cappella festival.

The Canyon High School Madrigals, the school's top choir group, performed two serious and challenging pieces at the Verdugo Hills Showtime Chorus' A Cappella Scholarship Festival in Glendale on May 1.

The group competed against five other schools, said Canyon choir director Mary Purdy.

Purdy chose the college-level pieces for her students because she was confident they could show off their talents, she said.

"They're very experienced, very talented and they worked really hard," Purdy said. "They really wanted it this year because they were second place last year. We started at the beginning of the year with the idea that we were going to conquer this."

Purdy said part of the prize money will help cover students' choir banquet costs, and the rest will be spent on music.