… A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
STUDENTS FROM BSAK PERFORM WITH THE ROLLING STONES
Friday February 21was a very special day for a group of students from the British School Al Khubairat (BSAK). Nine students were chosen to sing live on stage with one of the most successful bands of all time, The Rolling Stones. The nine students were Alaw Henderson, Shanthi Tikari, Maya Takahashi, Charlie Day, Jade Oswald, Alex High, Joseph Frost, Emi Pell, Lauren Jones, as well as myself, Kate Denton and several other music teachers from Abu Dhabi.
Rehearsals were taking place two weeks prior to the event but we were sworn to secrecy by the event organisers…this was a very difficult secret to keep! The concert was held at the impressive DU Arena in front of a crowd of over 40,000. The choir were in rehearsals with the band during the afternoon of the concert and we were all lucky enough to meet the front man, Mick Jagger as well as guitarists Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards.
Our performance was reserved for the encore, which meant we were able to enjoy most of the concert watching from the very front row. We were taken back stage fifteen minutes before we were due to perform and handed our earpieces. The band completed their set with a fantastic rendition of Brown Sugar and the crowd went wild screaming for more. This was our cue to take to the stage. Desperately trying to settle our nerves, we climbed up the steps and took our places on stage. I am sure that everyone who took part will agree that the feeling of stepping out on stage in front of over 40,000 people is quite indescribable; looking out over the audience really was a sight to behold. The music began, and there we were, performing on stage with one of the greatest rock bands in history!
An unforgettable experience!
By Music Teacher Sascha Dallas
The lucky nine: Jade Oswald, Alaw Henderson, Joe Frost, Lauren Jones, Alex High, Shanthi Tikari, Maya Takahashi, Charlie Day and Emi Pell. (They appear in that order, left to right, in the attached photo).
Maya Takahashi: This was undoubtedly the best night of my life. It was an incredible opportunity to sing with the Rolling Stones. It was truly amazing and definitely something that I will remember for the rest of my life!
Charlie Day: This was the best experience I’ll ever have – and for such old dudes they can rock hard! Stepping out in front of 40,000 people was exhilarating, scary and magical all rolled into one. I can’t quite believe it really happened – I’m still wearing my ‘stage access’ wristband.
Jade Oswald: It was without a doubt the most incredible experience of my life! It was absolutely mind blowing that we were given the opportunity to sing with legends at such a brilliant venue! The whole experience from meeting the stars, to rehearsing and performing such a fantastic song, and to simply meeting other singing-lovers all helped to make the whole experience so magical!
Lauren Jones: “I am still not able to comprehend just how amazing an experience it was to sing with The Rolling Stones and how lucky I am to have been able to do it. If only they had turned around, told us that we were the best choir they had ever sang with, and decided to take us on tour with them, then I could relive the coolest night of my life again and again”
Alex High: It’s not every day you get to sing in front of 40,000 people alongside a legendary rock band with a combined age of around 260 years! Standing on that stage was the most exhilarating experience I’ve ever felt. To tell the truth I was insanely anxious before we got called up behind the stage, but as soon as I stepped out into the bright lights and saw the ecstatic audience all my nerves disappeared and were replaced by an enormous smile!
Joe Frost: ‘Mick Jagger and Keith Richards I recalled gave us a hearty welcome and commended us for reacting normally to their presence as opposed to screaming! After all it’s not every day you get to stand next to Keith Richards! They put the roll in the rock on Friday night and with a collective age of over 250 years they gave it their all just like they did back in 1962. They are truly rockin’ their lives away and I am so proud that I got to share a piece of the limelight with them, hail hail Rock ‘n’ Roll!!’
Alex High: ‘It’s not every day that you get to perform with the greatest rock band in history, in front of 40,000 people, but the day it happened for me was by far the best day of my life!’
Alaw Henderson: ‘The experience was absolutely breath taking, nothing will ever beat this! Singing with such legends as the Rolling Stones has made my life complete!’
