A curious event at a football game.

Last Thursday, July 4, I scored some great tickets to the Roughrider vs Argonauts game at nearby Mosaic Stadium. A nail-biter almost to the bitter end, it was great to see Shea Patterson step up and fight through a tough game. 

But what happened right before the game started was more special than a win for a team who weren't expected to win in front of an excited crowd. My dad and your future pope - the infamous Denis Pilon was one of the members of the Living Skies Chorus that sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Oh Canada" before the game. Since the game landed on Independence Day, CBS in the US picked up the game for broadcast and in return, both national anthems were sung. 

The video struggles to capture the grandeur of the performance and just how good it sounded in the stadium. What started as a strong, military-sounding performance of the anthems, quickly showed its barbershop roots with unexpected harmonies and a pitch-perfect performance. You could feel the crowd being moved and as an observer who was trying to be quiet to film them - it was a challenge. 

Dad texted before the game to comment on how spectacular the soundcheck was but I don't think he realized how much having 30,000-some-odd people join in would enhance the performance. The sound filled the stadium and surrounded the listener. It was truly a spectacular performance, and one I'm sure they'll be invited to repeat many more times. 

I was grateful that my Aunt and Uncle didn't feel like coming into town for a Thursday night game so I could experience it in person! Plus, it was a perfect night for a football game and the Riders looked good - all the way to the end of the game.