Members of the UMass Lowell student choir prepare for an appearance with the Dropkick Murphys.

When UML’s student choir got the call from Prof. Paula Telesco, they sprang into action. 

“A group of string players from Berklee College of Music had been playing with the Dropkick Murphy and when their leader learned that the band wanted to be joined by a choir for their St. Patrick’s Day sets, he called us,” says student Ashley DiGrazia, who was joined by Sean Lebrun and Amanda Molhan in coordinating the performances at the Tsongas Arena.  The Dropkick Murphys, an internationally renowned Boston-based band formed in 1996, is currently on a world tour.

The assembled choir also included students Josh Brown, Ken Budka, Sue Cabot, Erica Caron, Zach Cooper, Brian Corey, Kellianne Grady, Josh Jones, Amanda Kinney, Mike Lacourse, Brittni Liyanage, Andrea Lyons, Joe McCarthy, Caitlin Millerd, Craig Peura, Myles Reeves, Joe Rondeal and Terri Sly.

The choir’s selections included “Shipping up to Boston,” “Forever,” and “Fields of Athenry,” a song about the Irish Famine.