Three Oklahoma high school choirs are competing in a fan-driven contest for the chance to perform with classic rock band Foreigner at Riverwind Casino's Showplace Theater on October 2. The winning group is expected to join the band on “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The participating schools are Piedmont High School, Putnam City High School and Carl Albert High School.
The competition was organized by radio station 104.5 KRXO after Foreigner reached out to the station, according to KOCO. The station reported receiving more than 50,000 votes, with supporters rallying behind the three schools.
Piedmont's choir includes seniors and freshmen, as well as students who also participate in sports and band, according to the KOCO report. Linda Peters, the school's head choir director, described the opportunity as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform with Foreigner.
Piedmont's Choir in the Competition
The possible performance would connect the Oklahoma students with a song that has a documented choir history. According to NJArts.net, Foreigner's original recording of “I Want to Know What Love Is” involved the New Jersey Mass Choir, which guitarist-songwriter Mick Jones found through one of the choir's albums before arranging a recording session in New York. Members of the choir also appeared in the song's video.
The Venue and the Choir Connection
Riverwind Casino says its Showplace Theatre has a three-tiered main floor with 1,500 seats, screens flanking the stage and bar areas on both sides. The setting would give the winning choir a performance space designed for a sizable audience while linking the event to Foreigner's established use of choirs in its music. The New Jersey Mass Choir's role in the original recording provides a documented precedent for the collaboration described in the contest.
Piedmont students told KOCO that the contest has brought members of the choir together as they prepare for the possibility of performing alongside Foreigner.
What Happens Next
At the time of the KOCO report, voting was still underway and the three schools were waiting for the result. Whichever choir wins, the performance would bring an Oklahoma high school music program onto the stage with a band whose recording history includes a prominent choir collaboration.
