'The Best Church Choir In America' Will Be Named At Verizon Wireless' How Sweet the Sound Finale

'The Best Church Choir In America' Will Be Named At Verizon Wireless' How Sweet the Sound Finale

Finalist Choirs from 11 U.S. Cities Go Head to Head Nov. 7 for Up to $25,000 in Cash and Prizes

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless' second annual How Sweet the Sound(TM) competition will conclude at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Nov. 7 where choirs from 11 U.S. cities will vie for the title of "The Best Church Choir in America" and up to $25,000 in cash and prizes. The evening will be hosted by GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, arranger and music director Donald Lawrence and Lisa Kimmey-Winans, singer, songwriter, producer and actress. The finale will also feature performances by award-winning gospel artist, Marvin Sapp.

More than 100,000 people attended the regional competitions across the country, enjoying nights of great music and community spirit. The winners from each regional competition selected to compete in the Detroit finale include:

   --  Houston - Resurrection Baptist Church Mass Choir from Resurrection       Baptist Church (Schertz, Texas)   --  St. Louis - Faith Celebration Choir from Faith Baptist Church (Festus,       Mo.)   --  Washington, D.C. - The Remnant Concert Choir from Mt. Ararat Baptist       Church (Washington, D.C.)   --  Newark, N.J. - Marble Community Gospel Choir from Marble Collegiate       Church (Newark, N.J.)   --  Philadelphia - Anointed Voices of Ford Memorial Temple from Ford       Memorial Temple (Philadelphia)   --  Detroit - Selected of God from Praise Tabernacle (Detroit)   --  Chicago - Evangel Celebration Choir from Evangel World Outreach Center       (Chicago)   --  Atlanta - Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir from Atlanta West       Pentecostal Church (Atlanta)   --  Memphis, Tenn. - Greater Community Temple Voices from Greater       Community Temple Voices COGIC (Memphis, Tenn.)   --  Los Angeles - City of Refuge P.S.A.L.M.S. Choir from City of Refuge       (Los Angeles)    --  Oakland, Calif. - Angelic Voices of Deliverance Center Choir from East       Oakland Faith Deliverance Center (Oakland, Calif.)   

Choirs from each city submitted audition videos, and a panel of judges selected the top choirs to perform in concert at some of the hottest venues across the country, including the United Center in Chicago; the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.; and the Toyota Center in Houston. At each regional competition, the choirs had the opportunity to win up to $15,000 in cash and prizes, while the overall winner from each show was selected to compete in the finale.

Details about How Sweet the Sound, including last year's grand finale, judging criteria, tickets and the official rules, are available online at www.HowSweetTheSound.com. Tickets are $7 for floor seats, and lower- and upper-tier seats are available for $5.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving 87.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 87,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

   Local Verizon Wireless media relations contacts by contest city     Houston   Gretchen LeJeune   Verizon Wireless   713.219.8028   Gretchen.LeJeune@verizonwireless.com    Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis   Erica Sevilla   Verizon Wireless   847.619.4326   Erica.Sevilla@verizonwireless.com    Washington, D.C.   Melanie Ortel   Verizon Wireless   240.568.1429   Melanie.Ortel@verizonwireless.com    Newark, N.J.   David Samberg   Verizon Wireless   845.365.7212   David.Samberg@verizonwireless.com    Philadelphia   Sheldon Jones   Verizon Wireless   215.638.5668   Sheldon.Jones@verizonwireless.com    Atlanta   Caran Smith   Verizon Wireless   678.339.4891   Caran.Smith@verizonwireless.com    Memphis, Tenn.   Karen Schulz   Verizon Wireless   864.987.2006   Karen.Schulz@verizonwireless.com    Los Angeles   Ken Muche   Verizon Wireless   949.286.8193   Ken.Muche@verizonwireless.com    Oakland, Calif.   Heidi Flato   Verizon Wireless   925.279.6545   Heidi.Flato@verizonwireless.com  

EDITOR'S NOTE: Broadcast-quality B-Roll featuring 2009 How Sweet the
Sound coverage is available online. Log on to Verizon Wireless' Multimedia
Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia to preview and request video
segments, which can be received in newsrooms digitally or by tape.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Brenda Boyd Raney of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7518,
Brenda.Raney@verizonwireless.com; or Samantha Kane, PMK/HBH for Verizon
Wireless, +1-212-373-6132, Samantha.Kane@pmkhbh.com

Web Site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html

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Profile: International Entertainment