Warwick native Angilly sings National Anthem for Bruins

By ALEX SPONSELLER
Posted 10/18/18

By ALEX SPONSELLER -- Warwick native Todd Angilly recently made his voice heard, singing the United States and Canadian National Anthems at the Boston Bruins home opener against the Ottawa Senators last week in Boston...

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Warwick native Angilly sings National Anthem for Bruins

Posted

Warwick native Todd Angilly recently made his voice heard, singing the United States and Canadian National Anthems at the Boston Bruins home opener against the Ottawa Senators last week in Boston.

Angilly, who currently resides in Lynnfield, Mass and works as a probation officer, has been an avid singer since an early age. Angilly fell in love with singing during his time at Lippitt Elementary School in the second grade and has been a regular performer ever since.

“I remember I was in second grade and was chosen to perform a solo, and it was there that I fell in love with singing. I didn’t have formal singing lessons until college, but music has always been a part of my family. My brothers all play instruments, I sing. As I got older I had an idea that maybe this would be more than just something casual, recreational. I’ve always maintained some sort of involvement whether it was in school or community theater,” said Angilly.

Angilly sang throughout his upbringing and also played football for Vets … where he was chosen to sing the national anthem for his senior year Thanksgiving football game.

Angilly has also performed for all five Boston sports teams. His first gig in professional sports came when he was a grad student in Boston and was working in the kitchen at Fenway Park.

“It was kind of an impromptu meeting. I was working there in the kitchen at the time and I was singing and a guy heard me and the guy that walked through happened to be the one who booked the people that sing. Because I worked there he always kept me available. I would do about a dozen games a year,” said Angilly. “Whenever people would cancel he would ask me and I would be like no problem. I would go down to sing and go back up to work.”

After the retirement of TD Garden legend Rene Rancourt, the Bruins were in need of a replacement. The team held live auditions in August and chose 52 singers out of over 600 applicants, including Angilly, who also works as a bartender inside of the Garden. Angilly was the first of the finalists to be chosen to sing when it came time for the home opener.

“I have sung for many different teams, venues, places when I was in school, but this one was probably the most nerve wracking,” said Angilly. “I have been working at the Garden for almost 20 years, I knew what was at stake so to speak. The Bruins people are serious and they react, I was taking it very seriously. It was an honor … they could have chosen anyone but they chose me and they put their trust in me.”

Angilly was recently chosen to sing both the Canadian and US National Anthems when the Bruins host their rival Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 27.

Although Angilly will be feeling some nerves, he looks forward to having another opportunity in the spotlight and hopes to carve out a regular role moving forward.

“I’m going to prepare for it like I normally would. There is no reason to get as nervous as I get, but it helps me, it helps me get the seriousness up,” said Angilly. “This will be just as much (pressure) as opening day since this is the Canadiens. That’s a big game for the Bruins.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here