The Chenery Upper Elementary School chorus will be returning to Fenway Park on May 23 to sing the national anthem before the game against the Minnesota Twins.
“There is so much pride; these kids work so hard every day,” said Sara Carson, the Chenery choral director.
This is the second year in a row students will be performing at Fenway prior to a Red Sox game.
Carson said about 230 students will take part.
“I love being on the field, and it’s fun to say that I’ve been on the Red Sox field singing the national anthem,” said sixth-grader Violet Birenbaum.
Birenbaum’s grandfather has been an employee of the Boston Red Sox for nearly 40 years. Knowing he will be watching makes the experience even more personal.
Sixth-grader Kiki Kogler’s father worked for the Sox in 2004 and proudly wore his World Series ring during the chorus’ performance last year.
“I’m really excited, because even though it’s my second year doing it, it was really amazing last year, and it’s so cool to be on the field and look up and see everyone watching you and seeing your face on the Jumbotron,” Kogler said.
As of April 3, 1,225 tickets have been sold to community members to watch the game. Described by Carson as a “Belmont playdate,” the game offers a chance to form community and connection outside Belmont’s town line.
“I did it last year, and it was a really big sense of community, because many of my friends and family came to watch me, so it was really fun,” said sixth-grader Tabby Lamont.
Carson said the students are in the “performance zone” as they rehearse for their spring concerts and Fenway. Whether they’re singing in class or in the shower, the students put hours into perfecting each note.
While many of the chorus members are anxious to return to the field, others — like Eddie Hiserman, a fourth-grader — will be experiencing it for the first time. Hiserman plays baseball and is an avid Red Sox fan (his favorite player is Jarren Duran).
“You’re right there with all the great baseball players, the greatest in the world,” he said. “We’re Belmont, we’re going to sing as a community, but then also, cheer on the Red Sox as a community, which I think is pretty cool.”
Fifth-grader James Sabo is also an athlete and is one of the students set to experience the field at Fenway for a second time.
“It’s really cool to just be up there; most people just don’t get to do that,” Sabo said.
Last year, it was Sabo’s siblings who yelled “play ball” at the start of the game.
As part of this year’s performance, the chorus will be paying tribute to physical education teacher Ryan Schmitt, a Coast Guard reservist deployed to the Texas border. Students will be wearing pins with his face on them, and one of his family members will be on the field with the chorus.
Schmitt was expected to return to Belmont in March, but his tour was extended. Honoring him is part of what makes the choral program — and Chenery as a whole — so special, Carson said.
“I think chorus is a really nice place where we all come together, no matter what our background, and work to do something really special,” Carson said.
The game, the second in a three-game homestand against the Twins, is scheduled to begin at 4:10 p.m. at Fenway Park.
