There’s nothing like a night at the ballpark: crab fries, home runs, and the national anthem to kick it all off. On March 31, the Cherokee Combined Choirs, under the direction of Mr. Joubert, performed a beautiful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” to kick off that night’s Phillies game.

In order for the choir to even be considered by the Phillies, forms and recordings had to be sent in, and even then, it took months for a reply to arrive. Once Cherokee’s singers got the news that they would be singing at Citizens Bank Park, they got to work. At the beginning, the focus was on each voice section learning their part. After that, rehearsals with the combined choirs were utilized “to balance and blend,” as Mr. Joubert explained. There was a little over a month to prepare for this event, and though that may not seem like much time, it was plenty for the dedicated choirs to put together a spectacular display of vocal talent.

The choir then stayed for the game afterwards, and everybody had a blast. Students noted that seeing Jhoan Duran pitch was a highlight of the night, as well as Andrew Painter’s major league debut.

“Our performance may have been the best thing Phillies fans saw in a while, but there is nothing like a beautiful night at the ballpark,” Mr. Joubert said, poking fun at the team’s three-day losing streak that was broken that same night. “Seeing the joy this opportunity brought to my students and their families was priceless.”

Emma Mann (‘29) said of the night, “It was a very meaningful experience because I’ve always dreamt of being one of the people on the field because I’ve always been the one watching it. I’m grateful to Mr. Joubert and the Phillies for giving us the chance to do it. It was amazing.”

Others who deserve thanks are Mr. Aucello, Mrs. Lee, and Mr. Thompson, who very kindly accompanied the choir as chaperones. 

The honor of representing Cherokee on such a large stage and the thrill of doing something so unique together created lasting memories for those whose vocals were on display that night. It was certainly an unforgettable experience, and everybody involved should take pride in the work they put towards making it so spectacular.