NEWS RELEASE
HURON-SUPERIOR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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A group of students from St. Mary’s College will get the opportunity of a lifetime Tuesday, March 5, 2019 when they take the stage at GFL Memorial Gardens with one of the biggest rock bands in history.
The SMC Singers won a contest hosted by Sovereign Communications through the Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. radio station Rock 101. Their reward will be to sing with the band Foreigner during their appearance this coming Tuesday in Sault Ste. Marie. The 15-member group will be back-up singers when the band performs its world famous hit song, I Want To Know What Love Is.
“It’s very exciting. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. I never did something this cool in high school so this is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives,” said St. Mary’s College music teacher, Kait Tappenden.
Foreigner has staged this type of accompaniment for many years with individuals, professional groups and high school choirs invited by the band to join them in singing the iconic song.
“They’re going to be centre stage. The band is actually going to be around them so it’s going to be a unique experience for them. They feel like superstars already here at the school. Some of these kids have never been to a concert and now they get to be in it and watch it,” added Tappenden.
Needless to say, the students are excited and nervous about getting this unique opportunity.
“I think it’s going to be such a great experience and it’s an honour. I feel like it’s going to be a good bonding experience for the choir as well. We worked really hard to put our entry together so I think this is our time to shine and show the city and everyone around us what St. Mary’s is capable of,” said choir member Ailee Iacoe.
“I think it’s going to be good for St. Mary’s because we haven’t done anything like this. So it will be good for people to see us in a nice big setting,” said choir member Ryan Mauro.
While the song was released in 1984, long before the Grade 10 student was even born, Mauro says he and many of his choir mates are familiar with it.
“It’s their most popular song, their most iconic song. In some respects we also grew up with this song because of our parents so it’s kind of big in that regard for us,” said Mauro.
Tappenden hopes that this experience will boost student interest in the music program at St. Mary’s College. The $500 dollars Foreigner is donating to the choir will certainly help in that regard. This is the first of two big events the music program is associated with. In May the school will host We Will Rock You – Student Edition, focusing on the music of Queen.
To see the SMC Singers entry into the Rock 101 contest, click here.
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