sQ! to sing anthem at Fenway tonight

Tufts' co-ed a cappella group sQ! will sing the national anthem at Fenway Park before the Red Sox-Orioles game this evening.

The thirteen members of the singing group sent in a demo tape of themselves singing the anthem to the stadium's entertainment office before the Major League Baseball (MLB) season started.

According to sQ! Outreach Coordinator and Manager Michael Caselli, "We wanted to get [our demo tape] in early so we could get try and get a gig early in the season."

The Red Sox's first home game was last Friday.

"I know that the entertainment section [of Fenway Park] receives a lot of demo tapes each year," said sQ! member Caitlin Rouse, who sang solo at Fenway last semester. "When I sang last semester I was told they receive hundreds of applications for the 80 games each season -- and a good portion of those are celebrities."

Among the many celebrities that have sung the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Fenway are Joey McIntyre, Donna Summer and Steven Tyler.

The group is not new to singing at large venues. Last semester sQ! sang at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, before a New England Revolution Major League Soccer game.

This will be the group's first time singing before a Red Sox game.

"This is going to be an incredible experience for all of us. It's Fenway Park -- the most historic park in all of baseball, with the best fans in the world," said self-professed Sox fan Caselli. He said more than half of the a cappella group are devoted fans of the Red Sox.

Rouse has also been invited to repeat her solo performance at the ballpark before tomorrow night's game.

"It was something I had wanted to do for a long time," Rouse said of her solo Fenway experience last year. "It was crazy -- I got to go on the field about an hour before I sang, right next to the players during batting practice."

When asked if the group was nervous about performing on such sacred baseball territory Rouse said, "I think there is more excitement than nervousness. It'll be a great experience."

* by Daniela Perdomo