EAST BERLIN, Pa. — A community choir is traveling much further than across town for their next performance.
The East Berlin Community Singers were invited to Normandy, France to perform the opening music for a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. They will sing in several other performances while overseas.
"It's such an incredible honor to be able to participate in this event," choir member Diane Reimert-Goley said. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for us, and to honor the people who were in the war at that time."
The trip has been a long time coming--the choir was invited two years ago. and members say they have been preparing for the performances since 2022.
Members of the singing group say they are excited to pay their respects. Some have one or more family members who fought in World War II.
"I work in a continuing care community, and last Veteran's Day I realized we had six living World War II veterans on our campus," choir member Tracey Grudi said.
"For me, that just kind of brought the whole thing full circle and just gave it a whole different life for myself."
The singers are the opening group to perform on June 6 at the Liberation Memorial Ceremony – Brittany American Cemetery. On June 7, they will open the D-Day Memorial Public Ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery. Following the events in Normandy, the group will travel back to Paris for some sight-seeing and a performance at the LaMadeleine Church.