Sports Goes High Society

The Chicago Blackhawks hockey team have a tradition where, when they score a goal, the loudspeaker blasts out the song, "Chelsea Dagger," but the Fratellis.  It's somewhat annoying, though in a good way, because it means the Blackhawks scored a goal.  Though if you're a fan of the opposing team then it probably reverts back to "annoying."

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a sort of sports tradition, too.  When the Chicago Bears have made it to the Super Bowl (which has happened a couple of times in the past 30 years), the CSO has played the team's fight song, "Bear Down, Chicago Bears," in concert.  (I wrote about it here, and embedded the audio, when Sir Georg Solti was the orchestra's conductor in 1985, and stunned the surprised and cheering auditorium, playing it as a rousing encore, complete with the Chicago Symphony Chorus singing along in Bears jerseys, which were revealed when the chorus members ripped off their robes.)

And so last year when the Blackhawks were in the playoffs, the CSO decided to offer their best wishes tribute to the team, with a goofily lyrical, if not rock rendition of "Chelsea Dagger," with Maestro Riccardo Muti holding the baton, while wearing a #19 jersey of team captain Jonathan Toews, though with the name changed to that of the conductor.

If you don't know how the original version of "Chelsea Dagger" is supposed to sound, here are the Fratellis with their recording.  You can of course listen to the whole thing, but a half-minute should give you an idea.

And so, here then is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal, offering their bouncy tribute to the Blackhawks.  You can prepare yourself by first shouting -- "Gooooooaaaallll!!!!"