The performance with the O.K. City Chorus on Patriot Day was one of the most
emotional I've ever experienced. We were on a stage with the Lt. Governor,
Mayor and other dignitaries overlooking the Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City.
As the sun set, an AWACS plane did a flyover. After the mayor welcomed the
thousands lining the canal, we sang God Bless the USA As soon as we began to
sing, the dignitaries began to rise slowly to their feet. When we reached
the chorus, the crowd broke into applause. There were several spontaneous
bursts of cheers and applause throughout the song and at the conclusion, the
ovation seemed to go on forever. Soon afterwards, as darkness descended, we
sang Candle on the Water and Amazing Grace, as thousands along and
surrounding canal lit candles that reflected light through red, white and
blue candleholders. Our own Tone Appetit moved the crowd to tears with God
Bless America and America the Beautiful. We finished with Battle Hymn of the
Republic and the dignitaries and crowd held the burning patriotic candles
above their head in silent reverie.

What an honor to have been involved in such an emotional night. We know that
there are thousands of others of you that shared in similar experiences last
night. It is wonderful to know that we played a part in helping to unite the
world through our music. See you in Nashville and God bless the USA

Barily here,
Nancy B. Nortz
'nTrance Quartet
O.K. City Chorus
Coach - Tone Appetit
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We are a small prospective chapter, barely into "Stage 2," who decided that
9/11 would be a perfect opportunity for our debut in the community. We
chose a memorial service at the church of one of our members. The local
SPEBSQSA chorus joined us on the program.

As twenty women filed up to the steps of the altar to the warm welcoming
applause of the congregation, we could sense the excitement. For fifteen of
these women, it was their very first Sweet Adeline performance, and they
proved that they had the "stuff" that Sweet Adelines are made of. Strong
and confident in the delivery of our two patriotic numbers, they captured
the hearts of the audience. Our finale was the classic hymn, "It Is Well
with My Soul," featuring a solo by the young lady who was a member of the
church. The men joined us, filling in with their rich bass voices, and the
result was spine-tingling and very emotional. To our surprise and delight,
the entire congregation rose and applauded at the end of the song!

So many things combined to make this a memorable experience for us. One was
the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the memorial service
and the appreciation that the church members and minister expressed.
Another was being able to share this experience with our brothers in
harmony. And finally, we were able to experience the unity that music
brings to people. Our chorus is probably one of the most diverse in this
country. Our members represent several countries, including Japan,
Cameroon, Bulgaria, and the Phillipines, as well as different regions and
ethnicities of the U.S. They are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or no
religion, but they all came together in a Baptist church for a celebration
of unity that no ecumenical council could have put together. Perhaps the
young lady from Bulgaria summed it up best when she said, "I don't want to
go home now... I just want to stay here and sing these songs!"

Carol Donnelly
Prospective Kentucky Sound (SAI)
Lexington, KY
www.kentuckysound.org
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Tuesday evening, we sang for the dedication of the Firefighter's
Memorial Statue and Park here in Las Vegas. We were invited by the
City of Las Vegas to perform as a finale while video's of 9/11/01
were being shown on a big screen. How fortunate that we keep our
eyes on the Director. Mayor Oscar Goodman spoke along with several
dignitaries as well as the firefighter who designed and built the
monument to fallen firefighters. While we sang and the video was
being shown, candles were distributed throughout the audience (many
were in bleachers, some had their own chairs, many were sitting on
the grass). What a moving sight! We sang "Let There Be Peace on
Earth", "Battle Hymn" and "Star Spangled Banner". After the
ceremonies were concluded and the people were filing out, we sang
"I'm Proud to be an American" and "This is My Country". Several
stopped to listen; in fact, the sound people came back and turned
the microphones back on so everyone could hear us! We were on all the
major tv station news broadcasts at 11 that evening, as well as again
in the morning news.
Then last night, September 11th, we were invited by Ner Tamid
Temple (where we rehearse every Tues evening) to sing for a
non-denominational presentation. We invited the City of Lights Men's
Chorus to come, so they sang a couple of songs and we sang "This is
My Country", "I'm Proud to be an American" and "Let There be Peace
on Earth". The rabbi, along with other ministers of other faiths
spoke on what 9/11 meant to them and the world. During "I'm Proud",
I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a gentleman stand and remained
standing throughout the entire song. After the program, we all went
out into the audience to thank them for coming. I headed right for
this gentleman and told him how moved I was when I saw him stand (in
fact, I sang a LOT softer for a few measures). He was a veteran of
the Persian Gulf War and said that "Proud to Be an American" was
their anthem and whenever they heard it, they stood at attention. OH
BOY OH BOY I don't know how we made it through. There were a lot
of damp eyes. We stood on the risers the entire program and Linda
told us ahead of time not to "wiggle or move around", so a lot of
tears went unheeded down our cheeks. "Keep smiling" through the
tears, and we did!
I've been a patriotic fool since childhood, so my heart is full and
will remain so for the foreseeable future. Thank you, Sweet Adelines
and thank you, Joey!!

Karen Lewison, Associate Director
Celebrity City Chorus of Greater Las Vegas
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Verdugo Hills Chorus sang for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department 09/11 Memorial yesterday morning. The LA County
Supervisors, Sheriff and Fire Chief were there, along with various LA
County officials. There must have been over 300 people crowding the
Plaza near the County Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles for the
lunchtime ceremony.

The 60 Chorus members were joined by about 15 guests that joined us
for the SOFP program. We sang "Star Spangled Banner", "God Bless
America", "God Bless the USA" and "America The Beautiful". The emcee
for the event was Randolf Mantooth (John Gage from "Emergency"!)

From my spot on the far right of the risers I could see the audience
just beyond our director, Alan Gordon. It was fun to watch the faces
of the crowd when we started singing. People were smiling, with that -
"Wow, that chorus of women can really sing"-look on their faces. I
could see the different emotions pass over faces - sorrow, regret and
mostly, pride. The vast majority of the audience works for Los
Angeles County and they are in the trenches of making our community
work. I hope they felt the gratitude and appreciation we were sending
their way. There were many firefighters, EMTs and police officers.
Our own retired LA County Sheriff Captain Linda Healy was surrounded
by her old friends and I made my heart sing to see two completely
contrasting sides of her life to come together like that - Linda in
her red, white and blue costume, laughing and talking with a bunch of
men and women in uniform. It made an interesting picture.

It was a day to come together, share memories and continue healing
and I'm honored that we could be a part of it.

Lynne Wong
Verdugo Hills Chorus
Region 11
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> also:
The Verdugo Hills Chorus sang for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department 09/11 Memorial yesterday morning. The LA County
Supervisors, Sheriff and Fire Chief were there, along with various LA
County officials. There must have been over 300 people crowding the
Plaza near the County Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles for the
lunchtime ceremony.

The 60 Chorus members were joined by about 15 guests that joined us
for the SOFP program. We sang "Star Spangled Banner", "God Bless
America", "God Bless the USA" and "America The Beautiful". The emcee
for the event was Randolph Mantooth (John Gage from "Emergency"!)

From my spot on the far right of the risers I could see the audience
just beyond our director. It was fun to watch the faces of the crowd
when we started singing. People were smiling, with that, "Wow, that
chorus of women can really sing." look on their faces. I could see
the different emotions pass over faces - sorrow, regret and mostly,
pride. The vast majority of the audience works for Los Angeles County
and they are in the trenches of making our community work. I hope
they felt the gratitude and appreciation we were sending their way.
There were many firefighters, EMTs and police officers. Our own
retired LA County Sheriff Commander Linda Healy was surrounded by her
old friends and I made my heart sing to see two completely
contrasting sides of her life to come together like that - Linda in
her red, white and blue costume, laughing and talking with a bunch of
men and women in uniform. It made an interesting picture.

It was a day to come together, share memories and continue healing
and I'm honored that we could be a part of it.

Lynne Wong
Verdugo Hills Chorus
Region 11

***********************************
SOFP/City of Pasadena, CA

The Verdugo Hills Chorus was privileged to participate in the City of
Pasadena's September 11th Ceremony. It was held in the beautiful
sanctuary of the First Church of the Nazarene. We were lucky enough
to be joined by 40 guest singers that came to us for the SOFP
program. Our chorus of 130 filled the church's choir loft.

The ceremony opened with various clergy speaking of tolerance,
compassion and love. They all stood together at the front of the
sanctuary, dressed in their various religious raiment, united in
their faith in their God and united in their faith in the goodness of
Man. It was a memorable sight.

We then sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and sat in the choir loft
while many state, county and city officials honored the firefighter,
EMTs and police of the City of Pasadena. At the end of this portion
of the program, the emcee asked all firefighters, EMTs and police to
come to the front of the sanctuary to be acknowledged. Our own Los
Angeles County Sheriff Commander (Ret.) Linda Healy came off the
risers to stand up front and be honored. One of our associate members
said, "I loved the "contrast" between the stern uniforms and the
glitzy costume." We were so proud. It was a moment that I'll never
forget.

We then sang, "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless the USA"
(a.k.a. "Proud to be an American") Our chorus and Region has been
sing "Proud" for years and I'll admit that it had gotten old to me.
But since last September, I've been singing it with new meaning. I
guess the audience saw the conviction and joy in our performance - to
my pleasant surprise, "Proud" received a standing ovation.

To close the Ceremony, we started the intro to "God Bless America"
and the audience joined in on the chorus. It always makes my spine
tingle and soul soar to hear this song. It's such a simple song, but
full of evocative and meaningful words. And to hear 600 people
singing it, it was a blessing.

I think all of us have a new meaning in our hearts when we sing these
great American songs. They'll never mean the same thing again.
Yesterday, I heard someone on the radio say, "Until September 11th, I
had my father's version of the red, white and blue. Now I have my
own." And it's true. Many people have said that life will never be
the same again and in some ways that's not all bad.

I'm glad I was able to share this day with my Sweet Adeline friends.
It could have been a rough day for me. But I was able to concentrate
on giving to others and not thinks about what was lost. Singing makes
everything better.

Lynne Wong
Verdugo Hills Chorus
Region 11
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Our chorus had two performances yesterday. We included former
members and guests who had learned the music we planned to present.
The following message comes from a former member/guest who sang with
us and who summarizes for us how wonderful the experience was:

What an exhilarating experience. I encourage you to visit Gardens of
the World in Thousand Oaks - its just what it sounds like ...
Beautiful! It smelled of flowers as we stood on the stairs of a huge
gazebo and sang our hearts out to the appreciating crowd. It was 6:15 pm
the sun fading yet the sky so blue. The aroma of roses combined with
the wonderful voices was just surreal !!!!!!

We also sang at 8 pm in the bowl at Constitution Park Camarillo, of
course it was now dark with a crescent moon. The park was packed with
a patriotic crowd, the Boy Scouts had passed flags to everyone. As I
looked out over the group the feeling was amazing. United families
and friends gathered together with over flowing patriotism, many with
flags, some holding lit candles, the kids beaming. By now our voices
were warmed up and we were high on the moment. We ended with a moving
song "For all the World" the theme is being at peace with
freedom for all the world... " God you are the light and let this
light shine through me." "Learn a song of Freedom and teach it to our
children " " Let your voice ring out with hope, love and peace to all
the world" its ends very loud and dramatically with "
S-i-n-g----F-r-e-e-d-o-m ! " Wow, the harmony was right on. so
beautiful, the words so touching, I was tingling as was the audience
it appeared. They gave a standing ovation with cheering and flag
waving, what a performance. I will never forget it. Thanks for
listening and sharing this special time in the life of our Nation.
Please continue to Pray for peace. Love
Jeanee' Grist

-- Barbara Albert, Bass
Channelaire Chorus, SAI Region 11
Oxnard, California
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Channelaire Chorus was privileged to participate in two ceremonies
commemorating the events of 9/11. We began in Thousand Oaks,
California at a beautiful venue "Gardens of the World". We gathered
at the Resource Center and walked from there to the huge pavilion in
the gardens, down a path lined with Sheriff, Police and Fire
Department personnel. An emotional moment without words. With more
than 70 members participating and 15 former members and guests, we
crowded the steps of the pavilion and sang "Let Freedom Ring", a
patriotic medley of "America The Beautiful" and "God Bless
America", closing with "For All The World". The crowd reaction was
touching to say the least and comments as we left to go to our next
performance felt wonderful. Some of the special moments for me as a
director were the many fire fighters and sheriffs and even one young
boy that stopped to thank us for being there and to share with me how
much they'd enjoyed our music.

Our next performance was in Camarillo. The City of Camarillo held
ceremonies in Constitution Park where flags ringed the perimeter and
were passed out along with candles to all those attending. As the
sun set, we gathered behind a line of fire fighters to wait for our
time to sing and listened as a young girl from the area sang "Proud
to be an America". As she sang, the audience began to get to their
feet and as far as you could see, flags waved as people shared that
special moment. When we came out to sing, dark had settled and
candles were gradually being lit throughout the park. We managed to
keep our composure as we performed, but I've got to admit it was
hard. It's tough to sing well with lumps in the throat and it was a
day when emotions stayed very close to the surface.

The Channelaire Chorus was so proud to participate in this worldwide
remembrance and to feel the special bond of participating with all
our sister Sweet Adelines. We are so looking forward to being with
all of you in Nashville. What a privilege it is to belong to such an
incredible organization!

With much love,
Bobbette Gantz
Director, Channelaire Chorus
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It is now Friday 13th (in Australia)...but I must take the time share
with you the special day the members of Perth Harmony Chorus had on
Sept 11.

We started the day singing at a breakfast for the American-Australian
Affiliation Council, with our Premier, the Archbishop, Commander of
the US 7th Fleet, who is stationed in Perth, and many dignitaries...
what a wonderful experience, singing both the Aussie & US National
Anthems, and then later, Candle on the Water and Anthem...The event
received coverage on several television stations Australia-wide that
evening.

Our actual 'Sing Out for Peace' was a wonderful night, where members
from Men's Barbershop groups, a boy's ensemble and young women who
also sing Barbershop came together with us. Our chorus wore our
Aussie shirts - for those of you who saw us sing at San Diego's party
in Portland, you would know that these have the Australian flag
across the front. One of the highlights of this event for us was
singing our 'DownUnder Medley' (sung in Portland at the San Diego
party and to the 'Queens of Harmony'), which includes the lines:

WE ARE NOT GOING TO LIVE IN FEAR!
WE ARE NOT GOING TO SIT IN SILENCE!

Our MC, Roberta Mead, had been in Manhattan in July as a volunteer
facilitator at the Citizen's Summit to make plans for the future of
the Ground Zero site, so her insight into New York was a wonderful
contribution.

Commander Tighlman, from the 7th Fleet, made a very poignant speech.
As I was seated next to him during our visual presentation at the end
of the evening, he pointed out people that he knew well that lost
their lives at the Pentagon. Commander Tighlman 'made the night' for
many of us, as he joined in afterwards in singing some tags with both
the ladies and the men - there were certainly some attempts made to
recruit him (and his whole basketball team!!!!) to a men's chorus!!!
What was particularly special for Perth Harmony Chorus was Commander
Tighlman's invitation to us to sing on an Aircraft Carrier when it
visits Perth - can you imagine any Sweet Adelines chorus having an
opportunity to sing to 6000+ men!!!! It is anticipated that this will
happen before the end of the year - I'll give you all an update!

The other exciting opportunity for our chorus that has arisen from
singing on the special day, is an invitation by the US Consul
General's office to sing at a Thanksgiving celebration to be held
here in Perth - for us 'Aussie gals' this will be an awesome
experience.

So, for the women from Perth Harmony Chorus, our involvement in
Singing Out for Peace, has not just offered an opportunity to reflect
on the events of the past, but has given us an opportunity to
strengthen our links with people from all over the world as we sing
out in harmony for peace throughout the world.


Helen Wolfenden
Communication Chair
Perth Harmony Chorus
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Our small chorus sang at the local library with the entire fire
department present, along with several paramedics and representatives
from the Ontario Provincial Police and the local municipal offices.
The representative from the Town of the Blue Mountains was excited
that we were performing and stated that every time he hears us we
just get better and better and thinks we're darn near perfect now!

The President of the local library board introduced us and we sang:
Thank You Dear Lord for Music, Can You Feel the Love Tonight and
finally Let There Be Peace On Earth with one of our members signing
for the deaf. We were well received and the performance included
many tributes to the fire, police and paramedics, remembrance of the
more than 3000 victims who died and of the passengers of flight 93
who prevented another plane from being used as a weapon. At the end
of our small performance, someone from the audience requested that we
sing Let There Be Peace on Earth once more. That was a very
difficult task as most of my chorus members were singing as tears
rolled down their cheeks.

As the memorial was ending and being drawn to a close, I nudged the
emcee and requested the microphone. I thought that it was important
that we, as Canadians, not forget our brothers and sisters in St.
John's and Gander Newfoundland (and in other parts of Canada) who had
taken in complete strangers as their planes became stranded when
airspace was closed over North America that day and fed and housed
them for the following days until they were able to return home.
Bravo for us! And with that we asked the audience to sing with us
and burst into O Canada. Another proud moment and of course, more
tears from my members!

I commented to all of the fire fighters afterwards that I appreciated
that they were able to attend and hoped that we never had to invite
them to something like this again!

Doris Waite, Director
Harmony North Chorus, Region 16
Tenor Musically Inclined Quartet
<><><><><><><><><>><<><><><><>
Our chorus, Song of the Valley, is a small chorus in Orange County New
York. Orange County lies in an area ranging from forty to seventy miles from
NYC. For financial and quality of life reasons, many New York City
firefighters and policemen live in our county. One small community lost five
firefighters in the World Trade Center on 9/11. These men were the fathers
of fourteen children, ranging in age from one-year-olds to college
students.
This wounded community came together, designated land for a memorial
park, and built the most touching memorial I have ever seen. A path
constructed of donated bricks leads to a platform of bricks inscribed with
messages and names of community members. Two tall slabs of dark marble
inscribed with a dedication to all those lost on 9/11 and a picture of an
angel holding a firefighter stand atop the platform. Several feet in front
of these slabs are five grave stones attached and arranged in a
semi-circle. On each is the name of one firefighter and his personal
information. Atop each is a bronzed full-size fireman's hat. The slabs and
stones are illuminated at night.
On the evening of 9/11, our chorus held a ceremony there and sang
Cohan's Patriotic Medley, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and God Bless
America. The mayor and people from the community including many children
attended. There was a strong breeze and the flag above the monument waved
as we sang. The attendees joined us in singing God Bless America. Though
it was a short ceremony, held a half hour before a memorial Mass at the
nearby church of the firefighters, there was nary a dry eye in sight. A
very moving experience.
Pat Meade, Interim Director
Song of the Valley Chapter
Region 15
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
As soon as the word came out that Sweet Adelines were going to sing for
peace, we arranged to sing at our local mall. So on Wednesday as many of our
chorus as could be there(some even took off from work to do it) we sang
Battle Hymn, This Is My Country-America The Beautiful Medley. Then a quartet
sang No Man is an Island and Cohan medley. The chorus finished up with Let
There Be Peace. We then asked the audience to join us with the pledge of
allegiance and singing God Bless America.
As an added bonus we had five guests at rehearsal last night who had heard
us.
Bette Killeen, President
Heart of Highland
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Prospective Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus may be small right now, but we're
mighty; and we wanted to be sure to take part in this wonderful effort.
There were 14 of our members free to participate that evening. We
started out by opening up a special church service and then went on to 3
different fire stations and then a large mall in Tulsa; complete with a
US Marine decked out in dress blues guarding an eternal flame that had
been lit earlier that day. It was a wonderful experience for us
old-timers and those that are new to the organization.

An extra special treat, was meeting face to face, our very own Joey
Stenner, who was there to photograph our time at the mall. She then
went the extra mile and followed us to our next stop to take pictures
there as well.

THANK YOU JOEY, for your TREMENDOUS efforts in pulling this event
together for SAI, and for your "personal touches"! You're the best!

Debbie, Team Leader
Pros Talk of Tulsa Show Chorus
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
These stories are so amazing!

Over here in the UK, the SA community has been making their
contribution to the Sing Out For Peace too, with various events being
held nationwide.

My own chorus, Purbrook Harmony, invited both a LABBS and BABS chorus
to join us in our own effort of commemoration & rememberance. We had
100 singers outside the Gulidhall in Portsmouth singing some
beautiful songs by candlelight - many passers-by stopped and listened
to the whole performance, settling their children on the ground to
listen.

I left with a huge feeling of pride; the atmosphere was just
beautiful - everyone was moved by the performances and many comments
were made from the public thanking us all for bringing some hope back
into their lives. It was a most moving and humbling experience, and
one of those moments which I will never be able to explain in words
to anyone who didn't witness it.

September 11th - one year on - will stay with me for a lifetime.

I couldn't have asked for anything more than that from what was my
first "big" sing out as MD.
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who made this evening so special.


Sally Tomkins

Purbrook Harmony
Quartet of Nations
Region #31
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Our chapter sang at the American Legion. The quartet
sang the Star Spangled Banner (joined by the entire
audience) and then they sang the Armed Forces Medley.
Current and former servicemen stood in honor of each
of their songs.

The chorus then sang Battle Hymn of the Republic. It
was a very moving ceremony with the mayor, fire chief
and police chief involved. It ended with a 21 gun
salute.

Lynn Miller
Newark (Ohio) Chapter
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Our SOFP coordinator, Sally Buccola, is not on SING, so I'm posting
on her behalf. From my perspective, we had an uplifting day
performing throughout our county. Sally did a terrific job arranging
the venues and putting together all the details.

September 11th was an inspirational day for the Central Coast Celebration
Chorus of San Luis Obispo, CA. On that day our chorus was joined by singers
countywide to present our "Sing Out For Peace" a musical memorial
commemorating the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The "Celebration" Chorus chose
to invite women singers from Paso Robles to Lompoc to join us in presenting
four programs countywide. We gathered together for four rehearsals to
prepare and learn our patriotic songs. For the day we all wore navy blue
pants or skirts, white blouses, and red, white, and blue scarves. We hired a
bus to transport the singers to all four venues. At 10 a.m. we sang a 30
minute program at Paso Robles City Park in Paso Robles. Several of
the city's dignitaries were there as well as reporters and television
cameras
filmed highlights which were on the 5 and 6 o'clock TV news. We then
proceeded to Mission Plaza in the center of downtown San Luis Obispo
for another 30
minute program. With little time to hydrate our throats with water, we
proceeded to Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande where we
did a 40 minute program, adding special guest speakers, a 6 minute video
from "ground Zero", and an invocation. Finally we did a one hour program at
the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo at 7:30 p.m. There we had an
invocation, a Marine Corps color guard, special guest speakers, the 6 minute
video from "ground Zero" and our patriotic songs. We finished the day with a
reception for all the singers, their families, and guests.

One of the wonderful aspects of the days performances at the Clark Center in
Arroyo Grande and the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo was that
three local Rotary Clubs paid for the cost of renting the performance venues
so that all programs were entirely free to the public.

It was a very special day for all of us and we truly felt that we had given
a gift to our community.

Diane McGrath, for
Sally Buccola
Central Coast Celebration Chorus
San Luis Obispo, CA
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
I was listening to NPR (National Public Radio) while driving from errand to
errand on September 11 and actually heard Tamar Valley Chorus sing! Jill or
Julie Phillips (the interviewer called her both), team coordinator of the
chorus, was interviewed as well. It was a very special moment to hear not
only the tribute paid by a sister chorus in Plymouth England, but for
the pride the words of the announcer gave me -- Sweet Adelines in a
very well known group throughout the United States and one of my very
good friends is a member and loves singing with her chorus. It was
quite a lovely moment on a rather sad day ....

Lloyd Thomas
Pride of Baltimore Chorus
Wellington City Chorus
Signature Sound
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thought I'd let you know what Voice of Vermilion Chorus in
Lafayette, Louisiana did on September 11th.
First, we were on, at 5:40 AM, our Good Morning Acadiana show, KATC-
TV3, ABC affiliate, to promote our Ready, Set, Grow 2002 and to tell
about our activities for the day.

Second, our 2 registered quartets (KCKC and Cherries Jubilee) did
live performances on a special called Acadiana Remembers (4-5:30 PM
on same station as above). KCKC sang "Let There Be Peace on Earth"
and Cherries Jubilee sang "God Bless America".

Third, our chorus sang God Bless America at the end of a dedication
ceremony of a 9/11 Memorial in downtown Lafayette. The memorial had
2 beams from the WTC, granite from the Pentagon, and soil from the
Pennsylvania crash site. The shape of the memorial is a pentagon,
which is scarred to resemble the crash site. City officials, the
Louisiana Lieutenant Governor, and many other dignitaries, fire
dept. & police dept. personnel were present. St. Thomas More High
School band played The Star Spangled Banner and Proud to be an
American. Presentation of colors was impressive. Taps was played
and a 21 gun salute completed the ceremony.

Fourth, several members of the chorus participated in United We
Stand -- a ceremony held at UL Lafayette's football stadium (Cajun
Field) where 8,000 were in attendance. We sang in the large
community chorus composed mostly of church choir members the
following songs: America the Beautiful, Star Spangled Banner, God Be
In My Head, and Eternal Father Strong to Save. It was an impressive
ceremony capped by everyone lighting candles. A short talk by the
father of a young man who died in one of the towers had everyone
wiping their eyes.

What a day to remember...
Karen Bernard
President, Voice of Vermilion Chorus
www.voiceofvermilion.com
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s I was sitting at my computer at 11:30 p.m., so many thoughts were
rambling in my brain as I drove back from the theatre where we sang
for the 9/11 remembrance. We sang in DesPlaines (a Chicago suburb)
which is a long jaunt from DeKalb. The agenda was full and we ended
the day's events with songs, bands and speakers. We sang "The Star
Spangled Banner" and the audience did not join in, which was amazing.
They, instead, listened to the song with different 'ears'. Then we
sang "America the Beautiful" and "Battle Hymn". In between songs,
our director, Sue Pippel, went to the podium and told about the
authors of these songs, both being women. That set the stage for
thoughtful listening as we sang those tried and true hymns. There
were speakers in between, then we sang "Peace on Earth", with it's
message of hope. Sue then explained the history of a much newer
song, "Let Freedom Ring", written by Barry Manilow. The audience
gave us a standing ovation when the program was over. To end the
event, "Taps" was played, the one that is with the echo (devinely
played), the full color guard (9 flags) came back to the stage, and
the Prairie Echoes Chorus conducted the sing-a-long, singing "God
Bless America". It was very touching and we were proud to be asked
to sing. It is so hard to put all of this into words----I wish I was
an elegant writer, but I am not. I am just happy to be an American!

Then, I was beyond the actual singing, bands playing, speakers (two
were senators!), and minister praying. As I drove home, I thought
how amazing our country is! Airplanes were flying ahead; trains
could be heard often; cars, vans, trucks and all other vehicles were
whizzing by. Then, at the quieter times of the drive, the skies were
truly spacious, looking at the moon and daydreaming at the stars. We
are not in fear of our lives. We don't have to be afraid at night
when sleeping. We can go to any place of worship we want to. We can
go to any school we want to. We can go to any job we want to. We can
go to theaters, restaurants, shopping malls we want to.

All of these things are here because WE ARE FREE! God bless
America. Over 300 Sweet Adeline Choruses and/or groups did something
for 9/11 and not all of them were from America. So, GOD BLESS US
ALL!!!

Jackie Balon (Bass)
Prairie Echoes Chorus
2002 & 2000 International Small Chorus Champions
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 - A DAY TO REMEMBER

It is difficult to comprehend that we have reached the one-year anniversary
of the horrific events of September 11, 2001. To those of us who love music
and recognize its healing power - it is fitting that Sweet Adelines
throughout the world will commemorate these events by singing out for peace.

None of us will ever forget where we were on that endlessly tragic day, and
the images we saw on our TV screens will be seared into our hearts for all
time. As we watched buildings crumble and landscapes change forever - it was
simply too overwhelming to comprehend that we were also watching the
destruction of thousands of people, citizens from more than 40 countries, and
the horror was absolutely paralyzing.

As immediate families and loved ones clung together for reassurance and
support, Sweet Adelines the world over came together like the family they
have always been. Through personal messages, many via the forum of the SAI
website, they reached out to their American sisters to express their grief
and their love.

The events of September 11, 2001, caused all of us to reassess what was
important in our lives, and I believe that families and friends and Sweet
Adelines were drawn closer together as a result of that day. This cowardly
act of terrorism, designed to destroy and throw into chaos the lives of all
of us who enjoy the freedom of democracy, backfired with a vengeance.
Instead - we became more determined than ever to live our lives freely and
without fear. The values and ideals we embrace as a democratic society,
intertwined like the strands of a braid of rope, suddenly took on the
strength of a steel cable, which nothing could destroy!

The sisterhood of Sweet Adelines has always been an incredibly strong one,
and in speaking to chorus members since 9/11 I am so proud of their heartfelt
commitment to one another. Their love for their individual choruses and
their determination to spread messages of peace and harmony throughout the
land with their music is a tangible force. This past year, many Sweet
Adeline performances worldwide paid tribute in song to those who died on
9/11. One can think of those who died as victims - but I prefer to think of
their spirits as beacons of light - showing us how ordinary people, just like
you and me, can find within themselves expressions of strength, courage,
self-sacrifice and love with which to overcome their fear and terror. They
will never be forgotten!

As we approach 2003, I sense an even stronger bond of sisterhood amongst the
members of this wonderful organization of ours. I have truly experienced the
reality of our organization, which is that members of our a cappella family,
though separated by distance are never really apart. I know in my own chorus
- which has always been a family - our love and appreciation of making music
together has only increase. The members of North Metro Chorus look forward
to seeing our Sweet Adeline sisters at our upcoming 'family' gathering in
Nashville, where we will join you all in the spirit of loving competition.

Until that time..stay safe and sing well!

Submitted by Doreen Pooley for
North Metro Chorus