As part of their historic farewell tour, Foreigner will play at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 30th. The local Broadalbin-Perth High School Choir (BPHS) will join the group for a performance of the legendary hit “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
In the lead-up to their tour, Foreigner began a contest to involve local schools in their performances. Among the many schools that submitted audition tapes was BPHS, who Foreigner ultimately chose to perform alongside at their Saratoga Springs show. Choir director Alex Hitrick recalled the immense work the students put into this audition. “I had the students figure out the harmonies sung by the New Jersey Mass Choir in the original song, arrange it, then sing it as a group.” To Hitrick, the student’s “ability to put their passions on display while having fun” made their tape stand out.
The BPHS Choir has grown immensely since director Alex Hitrick began five years ago. When he began, the choir only consisted of 12 students, but has since grown to 68. This upcoming year, they will have enough students to field two choirs. These students’ hard work has allowed them to return to the NYSSMA major festival for the first time in years. In light of all of this progress, Hitrick views their upcoming show with Foreigner as “absolutely a natural progression. The students not only put in the work that it takes to be stronger musicians, but have put their hearts into everything they do.”
Since winning the contest, the students have continued to work hard at their musical craft. BPHS will send 25 students to perform alongside Foreigner. These students have worked to fine tune all details of the song during rehearsals leading up to the show. As Hitrick admits, “While they may be a little nervous to be singing in front of thousands, I know being in the moment with each other surrounded by music will calm any nerves they may have.”
The main feeling surrounding the choir is excitement. Hitrick noticed that most students “have only heard snippets of music created from the 60s to 80s.” While many were aware of Foreigner’s hits, they did not know much about the band. After explaining Foreigner’s status as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the students recognized how important they really were. Now, Hitrick says “They cannot contain their excitement.” He specifically wanted to shout out one of his students “who will be singing every word to every song that they play.”
This performance has already had major impacts on the Broadalbin-Perth music program. Hitrick believes that the publicity from this performance will increase numbers for the choir. He expects that all music ensembles and extracurricular activities in the district will also receive a boost. This new interest can help students explore the “many different avenues of music that students can pursue.” In addition to increased interest, there are more immediate benefits to the performance. As part of the contest, Foreigner will donate $500 to the choir program to aid in its operations.
Hitrick believes that music is a fundamental part of education, “it is the time of day when we get to engage our brains in a different way. It’s the time when students don’t have to think about the pile of standardized tests they have to take or the insurmountable stress that is weighing them down.” In the end, music and creativity is what makes us human, so “When shaping well-rounded individuals to be the best that they can be, we mustn’t neglect the creative side to humans, and in our case, the future of music education.” Based on what Hitrick sees in his students, he says “the future of music looks bright.”
The performance at SPAC comes as part of Foreigner’s historic farewell tour with Styx. This tour comes after a near 50-year career that propelled Foreigner into rock stardom. Across their nine studio albums, Foreigner has racked up 14 top 20 hits. Audiences are sure to know tunes like “Cold As Ice” and “Juke Box Hero.” 2024 marks a big year for the band beyond just this tour. Foreigner’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction is also scheduled for October 19th.
For more information on Foreigner’s July 30th show at SPAC with Broadalbin-Perth High School Choir, visit their website here.
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