Following Remigio Pereira’s decision to change the lyrics to O Canada during a performance before this week’s MLB All-Star Game to reference the controversial #AllLivesMatter movement, the other members of The Tenors have come forward to admit they’re “shattered” by the fallout from the incident and say they were blindsided by Pereira’s actions.
Two of the vocal group’s members appeared on CBC, with Victor Micallef admitting: “It’s been a living nightmare.”
Following the incident, the other three members of the group issued a statement disavowing any knowledge of Pereira’s plans, apologizing for “the disrespectful and misguided judgement of one member of the group acting as a ‘lone wolf.’”
READ MORE: “Lone wolf” tenor Remigio Pereira speaks out after “All Lives Matter” anthem flap
And according to group member Fraser Walters, Remigio’s future with The Tenors appears to be in serious jeopardy.
“I don’t think we can see ourselves performing with Remigio again,” he said, adding he was sorry “that sacred anthem we hold so dear was compromised.”
READ MORE: After The Tenors’ singer changed O Canada, here’s why “All Lives Matter” is so controversial
Walters and Micallef also pointed out that the controversy has been especially difficult given that The Tenors have performed Canada’s national anthem “hundreds of times” throughout the world, and consider themselves to be ambassadors for the nation.
Following the performance, added Walters, the mood backstage was tense.
“If you were a fly on the wall you would have seen three very, very angry guys in the room talking to Remigio and him saying, ‘Well, if I asked for permission, you would have said no,’” he said.
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