It was a night to remember for students from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI), as their chamber choir had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform alongside Grammy and Oscar-winning artist Melissa Etheridge in Niagara Falls on Wednesday.
Etheridge, best known for iconic hits like “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One”, welcomed the high school performers to join her on stage in front of thousands of cheering fans.
For the students, the experience was nothing short of magical.
“It was magnetic. It was amazing,” said Tessa Sercerchi, a member of the choir.
Brie Lamer, another choir member, described the energy in the venue as electric. “It was very cool to see such an active audience support us as a choir — not just because we were singing with Melissa, but because we were up there doing what we love,” she said.
The choir performed two songs with Etheridge during the concert, earning loud applause from the crowd.
Among the audience was lifelong Etheridge fan and Guelph resident Andy Radke, who recorded parts of the performance on his phone. “I had goosebumps. I was blown away,” he said, describing the moment.
Radke was thrilled to see young talent from his hometown represented on such a big stage. “I don’t know if these kids realize they just performed with a living legend. She’s been part of the music world for nearly 40 years. It was something truly special,” he added.
The excitement didn’t end there — on Thursday, Etheridge took to Instagram to share a video highlighting the performance and praising the GCVI choir.