Game 1 anthem was `goosebumpy moment,' Canucks singer says
Elizabeth Irving is apparently liking the idea of group participation with the national anthem.
Irving, who is only 20 but has been singing O Canada at Vancouver Canucks games for a decade, held up the microphone Sunday night for the crowd to belt out a few lines of the song before Game 1 of the opening-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators at Rogers Arena. And she may have gone that route again for Game 2 against the Predators Tuesday night at Rogers.
“I did have it planned,” the Coquitlam native said Monday when asked about adding that move to her usual repertoire. “It's something that has been done before by previous anthem singers.
“It's something I always thought was unique. The anthem isn't necessarily a show. It's a shared experience between myself and the fans in the building. To be able to share that moment with them was really important to me, and, honestly, it hit the nail right on the head because it was such a goosebumpy moment for everybody in that building.”
It was the Canucks' first home playoff game since 2015 and the night brought the emotion. The players and coaches talked about the fan reaction and atmosphere after the game.
Irving was the same, saying how singing O Canada before an announced crowd of 68,781 at a Seattle Seahawks game earlier this season paled in comparison.
“Honestly, I'm at a loss for words,” she said of Sunday night. “It was one of those moments that you think could only happen in a dream and then it becomes a reality and it's such a surreal experience.
“The energy was different. I've done hundreds of anthems at Rogers Arena by this point. No anthem was as special or magical.”
Irving says that her parents have told her that she was singing before talking, and that it was her first way of communicating. Her folks enrolled her at Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts, and her love of music has never wavered. She has performed in musical theatre and has her own YouTube channel.
Older brothers Jamieson and Jonathan both played hockey. She was a self-described rink rat, and sports was always around the house. The national anthem mixed sports and music for her.
“I've always been a part of a family that's very patriotic and seeing the anthem happen before a game was always cool,” she said. “It's something I've thought from a very young age that I want to be there, I want to do that.
“For me, I think the anthem is such a special and pivotal moment before a game. I think it's a moment where everybody in the crowd gets to come together and start the game off right. And it's such a prideful moment. In a world where there's a lot of separation and negativity, the anthem is about togetherness and positivity.”
A 10-year-old Elizabeth was singing the anthem before Coquitlam Express games and that stint led to her trying out for a gig with the Canucks. She sang her first anthem at Rogers Arena on Nov. 2, 2014, when Vancouver hosted the Predators. She's remained in the anthem singer rotation ever since.