Chorus Sings At Jets v. Giants Game

The St. Anthony’s High School Gregorian Schola appears on the jumbotron in MetLife Stadium just before they sang the national anthem ahead of the preseason matchup between the Jets and Giants.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

Members of an elite high school chorus made it to the big leagues last Friday when they performed The Star Spangled Banner at MetLife Stadium before the preseason matchup between the Jets and Giants.

The St. Anthony’s High School Gregorian Schola, comprised of the best vocalists from the schools junior and senior classes, sang the anthem in front of a stadium full of football fans, as well as a nationally televised audience.

Brother Joshua DiMauro, who directs the Gregorian Schola along with Christopher Farrell, said the 65-member ensemble has performed at some big venues in the past, but nothing quite like a professional football stadium.

“This is another big feather in our cap,” DiMauro said.

DiMauro said the group had been practicing the national anthem for nearly a month leading up to St. Anthony’s graduation in June, so the students knew the song well.

The students arrived at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home to both the New York Jets and Giant, while the players were still on the field for pregame warm ups.

“You could hear the kids’ excitement and see it in their faces when they saw the players just feet away from them,” DiMauro said.

The group had to be inside the stadium at around 4 p.m. for sound check ahead of the 7:30 p.m. kick off. DiMauro compared the experience to when St. Anthony’s Gregorian Schola performed at the Vatican in Rome.

“We were following a very strict second-by-second schedule,” DiMauro said. “We were able to get used to the acoustics of such a large stadium early in the afternoon during the sound check.”

St. Anthony's senior Konall Keane, who also plays on the high school’s varsity football team, said the experience was “so much different than singing at the high school.”

“There were a lot of nerves and excitement… all my emotions were just stirring when the crowd filled the stadium,” Keane said.

When it finally came time to perform on the field, the student’s didn’t disappoint. DiMauro said the stadium erupted during the final few lines of the anthem.

“The crowd in the area were yelling and screaming with applause once the sopranos hit that note, and I could see the faces of the kids… they were really pumped by that last howl of the crowd,” DiMauro said.

Keane said the experience is one he will never forget.

“I saw Eli Manning looking right at me,” Keane said. “Not many people can say that they sang the national anthem at an actual NFL game.”