The choir at Niverville Elementary School recently got the showcase of a lifetime when, on Sunday, November 17, they got the chance to step out onto the ice at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg and sing the national anthem at a Manitoba Moose game.
Music teacher Susan Simcoe, who’s in her first year of teaching in Niverville, says the opportunity provided a great way to build the choir program. Last year, while teaching in Grunthal, she had the same opportunity and she wanted to replicate that success here.
“I reached out to the Moose before school even started in August to see if we could get a date to sing,” says Simcoe. “And as I was recruiting singers for choir, I told them we may have the opportunity to sing at a Manitoba Moose hockey game. Some hesitant singers thought choir was at least worth checking out for this fun event!”
The recruitment tactic was so successful that Simcoe says 95 singers ended up signing up to join the choir. In fact, there was some concern at first that this number might be too high, and if the Moose game opportunity materialized some might have to stay home.
But ultimately Simcoe decided not to leave out anyone who wanted to go.
The choir had already been meeting for two weeks when she received confirmation that the group would, in fact, be able to make their big debut.
“When the singers found out, they were ecstatic! So much excitement,” she says. “And I’m happy to see that the excitement for singing continued even after the initial rush passed about the game!”
Along with getting the invitation to sing the anthem, the choir had to sell game tickets. In total, 355 tickets were sold by the school, most of which went to family members.
“We meet once a week for 25 minutes for practice as a choir, but the students sing O Canada every day, so the singing part was the most natural,” Simcoe says about practicing for the gig. “What was different this time was, we were now a choir—which means following a director, breathing, singing, starting, and cutting off together. It doesn’t take long for young minds to put it all together.”
On the day of the game, the nearly 100 students made their way to downtown Winnipeg. As to what would happen when they got there, Simcoe says some of the details were a bit obscure.
“In my organizing of the event, I naively thought that 100 singers wouldn’t have to scan their individual tickets to enter the complex,” says the music teacher. “I found out after hours had been spent grouping the students together with a teacher chaperone that, in fact, each student and teacher chaperone would have to scan their ticket and go through security. Amidst a flurry of chaos, our fabulous team of teachers and staff wrangled the singers together and were led downstairs to our meeting room.”
Along with the production coordinator at Bell MTS Place, Simcoe then got the singers into formation—four rows of singers, just like they’d practiced at school.
“With minutes to go, the students were led down the hall towards the ice where anticipation mounted and nerves prickled,” Simcoe recalls. “As we were waiting for go time, I walked up and down the hall saying, ‘Breathe and smile!’ You could feel the energy and excitement!”
At last, the moment of truth arrived.
“The singers very respectfully walked onto the ice with eyes full of wonder,” she says. “The NES choir was the largest choir the Manitoba Moose had every hosted to sing O Canada. They sang amazingly with hundreds of watching eyes and a huge jumbotron to vie for their attention.”
After the performance, the students were rushed off the ice to the backstage meeting room where everyone was gathered and then taken up to meet their family members. From there on, everyone enjoyed the usual array of festivities and game day treats.
And it didn’t hurt that the home team beat their rivals, the San Antonio Rampage, by a whopping score of 5–2.
As a souvenir, the Moose even gave each singer a new hat to remind them of their adventure.
“Opportunities like this, for a choir, are like playing a game with your hockey or ringette team, a dance recital, or gymnastics meet,” Simcoe says. “It is in the working together and performing together for a common goal that brings singers together. It is what creates bonds and friendships that are strengthened each time we practice and perform. Being in a choir fosters a place of belonging, it builds confidence, and it offers singers opportunities that are beyond the classroom and ultimately creates memories that will last a lifetime. Being such a young choir, this experience will no doubt keep the singers motivated and excited to sing for a long time—until the next choir adventure.”
