INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): The Rolling Stones will be joined by a local group that tours internationally when they play the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Saturday. 

The Butler Chorale will join the Stones on stage as part of a closing number for their 4th of July show, part of their ZIP CODE tour of large venues throughout the U.S. and Canada. 

The 26-member chorus from Butler University is renown for its performances at big events, but the university‘s director of choral activities says the Stones are about as big as it gets. “I‘m delighted that Butler gets to be in the spotlight, because we are proud of everything our students have accomplished. But I am also an advocate for singing, and to have the Rolling Stones turn the spotlight on any choir is pretty spectacular,” said Butler choral director Eric Stark. 

The Butler Chorale was most recently in the international spotlight in January 2012, when they backed up Madonna during her Super Bowl halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium.   

Stark said the invitation to perform with the Stones came in April, shortly before the spring semester ended. “Initially, I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to help because it’s summertime,” Stark said. “But once the students found out it was the Rolling Stones that became very interesting to them. We didn’t have too much trouble.”

 The chorale will be broken into two groups onstage during the performance. Greg Sanders, a Butler alumnus and conductor of the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, will conduct one half, and Professor of Music Doug Spaniol will be the shadow conductor for the other half. Stark had a previous commitment will be traveling that night. 

As for what they will be performing, the natural inclination would be “You Can‘t Always Get What You Want”, since the original recording features a boy‘s choir singing the song‘s chorus. “I am under strict instructions that I can neither confirm nor deny the repertoire we are performing,” Stark said.