Rene Rancourt knew Wednesday night’s national anthem was a special moment right when it happened, but its importance continues to grow in his heart.
Rancourt described Thursday morning how emotional he was as fans sang along before the Bruins game Wednesday night. Now, he says that national anthem rendition was probably the best he’s ever known.
“There are magical nights,” Rancourt said, according to ESPN. “But this, I don’t think it will ever be topped.”
Rancourt started the national anthem then pulled down his microphone, and the crowd’s voices filled TD Garden.
“As you can imagine, a lot of people ask me [to rank them], and the answer has always been easy,” he said. “I waited 35 years for that Stanley Cup. But now, I must tell you, this tops them all.”
Rancourt emphasized again that he was happy the fans joined him, saying he struggled during rehearsals as he thought of the meaning of the words. He said was grateful when the suggestion was made that the crowd could help, and he could put his “ego” aside.
“As a singer you might say, ‘Well, if the people are going to sing, why do they need me?’” he said. “It’s kind of natural, being honest. But in view of the bombings, all of that went out the window. … Actually, it did help me, and I did need help, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Because if you even start thinking of the words a little bit in this context, because of the terrorism, the ego self-destructs.”
Even when the fans joined in, Rancourt said, he still sang along.
