University of Notre Dame Folk Choir to Accompany Football Team to Emerald Isle Classic

Thirty-four members of the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir will accompany the Fighting Irish to the Emerald Isle Classic where they will perform at the Welcome Home pep rally and the pre-game Mass. The Folk Choir will perform alongside a variety of acclaimed singers and ensembles, including Anthony Kearns, a founding member of the Irish Tenors; Anuna, Ireland's cutting edge vocal ensemble and the voice of _Riverdance_; and the High Kings, an Irish ballad group.

NOTRE DAME, IN (University of Notre Dame) - Thirty-four members of the Notre Dame Folk Choir will perform at the Welcome Home pep rally on Friday, Aug. 31 and again at Mass on Saturday, Sept. 1 in Dublin before Notre Dame takes on the United States Naval Academy in the Emerald Isle Classic.

Dubbed "Notre Dame: A Welcome Home," the Friday event will incorporate elements of a classic Notre Dame pep rally with performances by legendary Irish musicians. The Folk Choir will perform alongside a variety of acclaimed singers and ensembles, including Anthony Kearns, a founding member of the Irish Tenors; Anuna, Ireland's cutting edge vocal ensemble and the voice of _Riverdance_; and the High Kings, an Irish ballad group.

Both the pep rally and the Mass will be broadcast live by RTE, Ireland's national television and radio broadcaster. The events will also be posted to RTE's YouTube channel following the game.

Navy hosted Notre Dame in the inaugural Shamrock Classic in 1996. The game drew more than 40,000 fans with an estimated 10,000 fans who traveled from America. This year's game will be held in Aviva Stadium, which seats nearly 50,000.

"We are thrilled to be able to accompany the team to Dublin," said Steve Warner, Notre Dame Folk Choir Director. "We had the privilege of joining the team on their first journey to Ireland in 1996. We couldn't be more enthusiastic about returning to perform with such talented musicians while watching the Fighting Irish take on Navy once more."

A program housed within the Office of Campus Ministry, the Folk Choir regularly provides music for the Sunday 11:45 a.m. Mass in the Basilica and for many University events. The ensemble is comprised of 60 musicians who use four-part vocal harmony accompanied by strings, flute, guitar, harp, organ, conga and bodhran (Irish drum). Primarily an undergraduate organization, the choir serves the University as one of its principal liturgical choirs.

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