Local choir preparing for historic Normandy performance
By Pedro Lopez
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SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A group of local singers is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime journey overseas, one that will take them to Normandy, where they’ll perform in ceremonies tied to D-Day.
Nearly 100 people, including dozens from the Savannah area, will travel to France during the first week of June as part of the American Choir for World Peace.
During rehearsals, voices rise together with a shared purpose to bring music to a place where history changed the world.
“We’re going to be singing at remembrance ceremonies. We’re going to sing on the beaches of Normandy at the American Cemetery, but the real reason that we’re doing this is to try to use the gift of music to spread the message of peace, which I think we can all agree that our world needs desperately right now,” said choir director Justin Addington.
The performance carries deep historical meaning. Normandy is home to the beaches where Allied forces landed in 1944 during D-Day, a pivotal moment in World War II.
For Addington, the opportunity to unite singers from across the country adds another layer of significance.
“The opportunity to pull together a mass choir, if you will, of people from all over the nation is pretty special. The opportunity to represent our nation in this very important way is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
For many singers, the experience is both emotional and personal.
“When does anyone get the opportunity to sing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day? I mean, I get goosebumps just thinking about it now. It’s just an extraordinary opportunity,” said choir member Gina Shields.
For Shields, the trip almost didn’t happen.
“I was sponsored by one of the members of the church to go to France, the gratitude I have for that is beyond. I can’t even begin to explain how much that moment changed everything for me,” she said.
As the group prepares to stand on the same beaches where thousands once fought and died, the weight of that history is not lost on them.
“You’re standing on this beach that so many men fought and died on during a war. I think it’s going to evoke so many emotions. It’s just, I think it’s going to be so impactful,” Shields said.
Beyond honoring the past, the choir says the trip is about something bigger, using music to bring people together.
“We just really hope that when we experience this together, that we walk away with a greater appreciation and ttry to encourage everyone toward greater cooperation and understanding and peace,” Addington said.
Before heading overseas, members of the choir will continue rehearsing throughout the spring and are scheduled to perform locally as part of a choral festival on March 29.
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