The Manteno High School Chamber Choir learned of their most prominent opportunity yet while walking into class Dec. 2 — three weeks after auditioning to sing the national anthem at the Bears' game Sunday against the Lions at Soldier Field.
Director of choral activities Sean Hoffman answered a call from the team at the beginning of class. With his students patiently waiting, Hoffman wrote "W" on a post-it note and held it up to the room.
"Everybody dropped all their books and stuff," junior Luke Morin said. "We were screaming and jumping around. It was a very naturally happy moment and I'm so glad that we got to have that together."
The choir won the Bears' annual national anthem contest, which drew 500 total entries this season. Ten finalists visited Halas Hall in November to audition in front of a panel of judges that included team reporter Lauren Screeden and public address announcer Tim Sinclair.
"We were so fortunate to have an array of amazing talented singers who came to Halas Hall, but our judges unanimously chose these students," Bears director of events and game presentation Katlin Strange said.
Hoffman learned of the opportunity through one of his students, who shared the application. While Hoffman initially thought the contest would be a great solo opportunity for one of his students, he decided to contact the Bears and ask if they were open to a group performance.
For Hoffman, watching his students audition for and ultimately win the competition was a highlight of his teaching career and fulfilled the main reason he became an educator.
"When I knew I wanted to teach, I knew it was all about providing opportunities for kids, and I don't think there's anything bigger than a national stage like this," Hoffman said. "I'm just happy that we're able to provide these awesome kids with such a great opportunity. They sing the national anthem at basketball games, volleyball games and football games, but not a football game like this. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm just happy they were poised enough to do this."
Poise is exactly what the 24 choir students brought to Soldier Field on Sunday. After one rehearsal at midfield in the morning, the students were brought back onto the grass following pregame player introductions. As he watched the choir rehearse, Hoffman knew his students were ready for the moment. They wouldn't be overwhelmed by the grand stage. In fact, he thinks it added a layer of motivation.
Just minutes before kickoff, the choir performed a beautiful rendition of the national anthem in front of nearly 60,000 fans and their hometown NFL team.
Hoffman stood off to the side, beaming with pride. He was left nearly speechless.
"I had a little tear in my eye, not going to lie," Hoffman said immediately after the performance. "I've always been a huge sports fan and appreciate the musicality that performers bring to it. To have our students be a part of that in such a cool venue, it was awesome.
"You can't describe this level of pride. They did the whole thing themselves. They went out there and were poised and mature. I'm prouder than I can find words for."
As their big moment concluded and the ceremonious flyover commenced, the 24 students walked off the field, smiles plastered on all their faces. Morin called it "one of their best performances ever."
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Morin said as he walked off the field. "I'm so happy we were given the opportunity to do this. I couldn't imagine doing something like this — it's like a dream come true."
