ROCKERS RECORD WITH LOCAL KIDS; VIEWPOINT STUDENTS ADD VOCAL TALENTS TO HOLIDAY OFFERING BY CHICAGO.

Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer

After more than 30 years together, members of the rock group Chicago enlisted some Viewpoint School students to help them complete their Christmas album.

Three students from the private school sang with the veteran group on the recently released ``Chicago 25: The Christmas Album.'' The school's choral director also headed the children's choir for the album.

``Singing for Chicago was just a rush,'' said Brittany Scott, a senior at the school. ``I remember walking out of there and thinking, I just contributed my voice to Chicago.''

Earlier this year Ryan Kelly, choral director for the middle and upper schools, contacted James Pankow, Chicago's trombonist. Pankow's daughter, Sarah, was a sixth-grader at Viewpoint and Kelly called to ask if he could bring one of his choirs to watch a recording session.

Pankow declined, but instead offered Kelly the chance to conduct the children's choir for the Christmas album.

``I jumped at it and said I'd love to do it,'' Kelly said. ``I've been a big fan of the group since I was a little kid.''

The choir was made up of 15 to 20 children of Chicago members and other members of the production staff, including Sarah. Pankow also invited Kelly to bring two of his own choir students to sing along.

``I picked two of the best kids vocally and two of the best to work with,'' Kelly said.

Kelly chose Brittany and then-senior Amity Addrisi to attend the late April recording session. Despite being the only two members of the choir who had no relation to anyone affiliated with the album, Brittany said she and Amity felt at ease.

``The minute that we walked in there it wasn't even an issue,'' Brittany said. ``They made me feel comfortable immediately.''

The choir performed well on two songs for the album, ``One Little Candle'' and ``Child's Prayer,'' Kelly said.

``They did very well,'' he said. ``All their dads are incredibly talented vocally and instrumentally.''

Because of their various relationships to the music industry, none of the singers seemed particularly star-struck, Kelly said.

``It was obvious that these kids had logged a lot of time in the recording studio, probably just waiting for dad,'' he said.

Brittany, 17, has been a longtime fan of Chicago and became interested in singing after performing in sixth-grade musicals. She does not know whether she will pursue a career in music or neurosurgery.

``I've always loved the performing part of singing,'' she said. ``I just connect with the audience. It's nice to know that somehow I'm enriching someone's life. If someone walks away with a smile on their face then I did my job.''

The need to re-sing various parts of songs to get them perfect made some of the younger members of the choir restless, Kelly said. Brittany said it was not a problem.

``I love to sing, so it wasn't a problem having to sing the same line over and over,'' she said.

Brittany, Amity, Sarah and Kelly all received payment and credits on the album for their work. The album seems to be selling pretty well, Kelly said.

``I'm having a hard time of getting one myself,'' he said.

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3 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color in Conejo Edition only) Brittany Scott, 17, a student at Viewpoint School, sang on a Christmas album by Chicago.

(2-3--Color in Conejo Edition only) (Photo 3 ran in Conejo Edition only) Above, Ryan Kelly, choral director at Viewpoint School, directed a children's choir on Chicago's new Christmas album. Left, Kelly works with choir students at the Calabasas campus.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Special to the Daily News