Calgary

Cowtown Opera singers pay tribute to Flames

Opera singers in Calgary have donned Flames jerseys to sing a tribute to the team as they head into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

'Playoffs! Playoffs! We'll drink a ton of beer!' sing operatic fans

Opera singers in Calgary have donned Flames jerseys to sing a tribute to the team as they head into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The song, nicknamed Never Quit by Cowtown Opera performers, was released Wednesday morning.

"We really feel like we are putting a fresh perspective on opera for Calgarians and making it relevant to them, and singing about things we all love, like the Flames," said artistic director Michelle Minke.

Minke's husband, a Flames fan, helped her and singer Barb Thorson write the lyrics, despite having no background in music.  

She says her favourite line breaks expectations about opera singers: "Playoffs! Playoffs! We'll drink a ton of beer!"

The familiar sounding tune is Funiculì, Funiculà written in 1880 by Luigi Denza for a celebration of a different sort — the opening of a funicular cable car on Mount Vesuvius in Italy. Minke said they picked that song because it is so catchy.

All the singers with Cowtown Opera are professionally trained opera singers who live in Calgary.

On mobile? Hear the song here.