A Choral Kickoff The choirs of Prairie River Middle School will “kickoff” their concert year with a program of songs associated with football. “Fight” songs and the Alma mater of several schools will be featured at the program to be held on Tuesday, November 15, at 7:00 in the PRMS auditorium. PRMS choir students are learning about traditions and history and how much music is intertwined with them. The Alma mater and fight songs of a school are laden with history. In singing a fight song, fans feel part of a large, time-honored tradition. There are hundreds of songs used to cheer on and honor our favorite teams. The choirs will sing Merrill’s own “Hail to the Blue” and “Loyalty”. Included in the program are well known Wisconsin Badger songs, such as “On, Wisconsin!”, “The Badger Ballad”, “Hot Time” and “Vic’try”. The Green Bay Packers have their own fight song, “Go! You Packers, Go!”, which will also be performed. Many fight songs or school songs are parodies, that is, a new set of lyrics that fit a well-known tune. The audience will hear “The Battle Hymn” (University of Colorado), “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” (“The Eyes of Texas”, University of Texas), “Dixie” (University of Mississippi), “Rocky Top” (University of Tennessee) and several others. The words for “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the national anthem of the United States of America, were written well after the tune was written. The lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key and first published as a poem in 1814. It was later discovered that the meter of the poem fit the tune many people at the time knew as “To Anacreon in Heav’n”. There are 4 verses to our national anthem and all will be performed at the concert. Special guest appearances by several Merrill High School football team members are scheduled. The choirs are directed by Mary Waid. The public is invited to attend. There is no admission charge. Be sure to wear your favorite football jersey!