Hundreds of Singers Treat Hotel Guests to a Beautiful Rendition of the National Anthem

By a raise of hands, how many of you like to stay in noisy hotels where you’re woken up at night by loud high school students? Is your hand raised? Yeah, we didn’t think so! Well, we implore you to alter your perspective for just a minute. After you watch this video, we’re sure you’ll change your answer.

This viral video was shot in 2013 and details an annual ritual that takes places at the Kentucky All State Choir Competition. Every year, all participating schools and students walk out of their hotel rooms and into the lobby where they start singing.

I know what you’re thinking—11:00 p.m. is on the late side, especially for travelers with kids, but trust us, these choir students can SING!

The video starts off in a bit of a disorienting manner. The cellphone footage shows a hotel elevator peering down onto an open courtyard style lobby.

We hear a cacophony of voices—it sounds like hundreds of singers warming up at exactly the same time. The singers’ tones echoing off of the cement atrium makes me feel like I’m sitting in a beautiful old cathedral!

Around the 35 second mark, we start to hear the sounds of whispering and “shushing.” Then, it gets eerily silent, until . . .

We hear the soulful, booming voice of a baritone singing, “Oh say can you see . . .”

Then, hundreds of other voices join in, in absolute perfect harmony. The result is a haunting and patriotic rendition of America’s National Anthem.

The acoustics are positively incredible! The singers’ voices bounce off of the walls in a way that is almost deafening. Could you imagine waking up to this spectacle? To tell you the truth, I don’t think that I’d mind one bit!

This video was taken from the top of the open, spiral courtyard, so you can get a full view of just how many people are participating. It really is an astoundingly impressive amount!

Once the students finish the ending line, “. . . and home of the brave,” the entire hotel lobby breaks out into unanimous applause.

Now, if that vision of devoted patriotic perfection doesn’t make you feel proud, then I don’t know what will!

Sure, there are some incredible choirs out there, but there is something so moving about hearing a group of competitors sing as one before they go head-to-head. It shows us that their instructors must really value their sportsmanship, as well as their art.

If you have been properly wowed by this magnificent display and want to see more, then we suggest checking out all of the other annual atrium performances. Each year is slightly different, but equally impressive.

Bust out your red, white, and blue headband, and watch the video below to see these talented kids in action!

Do you have any special National Anthem related stories? Have you ever been part of a choir? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Tell us all about them in the comments section below!