Singing Cadets Surprise Pres. Bush On His 85th Birthday
The Texas A&M Singing Cadets journeyed to the famous New England coastal town of Kennebunkport, Maine at the request of Former First Lady Barbara Bush as a surprise for President George H. W. Bush on his 85th birthday.
The Singing Cadets, long a musical favorite of the former president and pictured here with the Bush family, provided the entertainment for his surprise party — and presented the performance as a special birthday gift to him from Texas A&M University, where his library is located.
In addition to being featured at the former president’s surprise party, the Singing Cadets also were on hand to witness his parachute jump with the Army Golden Knights. The former president can be seen in the photo on the right as he made a landing on the shore near his Kennebunkport church, St. Anne’s.
In addition to being featured at the former president’s surprise birthday party, the Singing Cadets performed at various venues while in the Northeast and New England areas. For example, they sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park on night of the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees baseball game.
While at the game, the cadets met with Jim Nantz, a Sports Emmy Award-winning American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television, who currently hosts the network’s program “The NFL on CBS.”
The Singing Cadets traveled back to Boston on Sunday following the game to sing at the 11 a.m. service at the Old North Church, where Paul Revere began his historic horseback ride to warn the countryside that the British were coming, thus igniting the American Revolution.
They wrapped up their visit to the area with a special appearance at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library as part of an exchange program between the George Bush Library and the John F. Kennedy Library.
The Singing Cadets, who have gained world renown as Texas A&M’s male chorus, date back to 1893. The group performs more than any other collegiate choir, presenting more than 870 concerts each year, notes a spokesperson. Recent tours have been to Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and The White House, all in addition to the numerous concerts for Aggie Mothers’ Clubs and Texas A&M alumni clubs throughout the state and nation, as well as frequent performances on campus. The group is preparing for an international tour in May 2010.
