The following video features Measha Brueggergosman, a Canadian soprano who performed the Olympic Hymn before the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. Here, she's singing the U.S. and Canadian national anthems before the Pittsburgh Penguins' game at the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. It only runs about four minutes; it feels like four months.
Watch as the Penguins (including Sidney Crosby), Senators and fans can barely contain their exasperated bemusement with her performance.
Jeez, how many laps did that flag make around Scotiabank Place? And after her performance, did anyone scream out, "HEY, IT'S ENRICO PALAZZO!"?
Measha Brueggergosman wrote a brief synopsis of her feelings on her website: "Just finished singing the American & Canadian Anthems at the Senators/Penguins game in Ottawa. WHAT A RUSH!"
"Rush" would be the last word we'd ever association with that performance. But she certainly was in fine voice, and if nothing else, it was a tension breaker for the fans.