On June 6, 1944, about 160,000 Allied troops invaded a 50-mile stretch of beaches in Normandy, France, to fight the Nazi soldiers occupying the land. About 9,000 Allied soldiers died during the invasion, but it marked the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler’s offensive across Europe.

The band performed three times between June 3 and 10 in memory of D-Day at various sites, including Utah Beach, Sainte-Mere-Eglise for the Concert de Liberation and the Jardin du Luxembourg (the Luxembourg Gardens).

Invited to play by the nonprofit organization Historic Programs, conductor Doug Stephens said it’s an honor for a community band to perform on an international stage.

“Whether it’s a community band or what have you, to be invited on a national level is a unique and rare opportunity,” he said.

About 65 members of the Hollidaysburg Community Band stood for a photo in France, where they performed in several concerts during early June. Courtesy photo

The trip was made possible thanks to an anonymous donation made to the Hollidaysburg Community Band about a year ago.

Stephens said the Office of Veterans Affairs recently announced that they were searching for an increased American presence at Normandy’s D-Day celebration this year because of America’s 250th anniversary.

That announcement most likely prompted a local veteran to make a significant donation to the band, he said, taking care of the traveling bills for many members. As a result, members who wanted to go were only required to pay a $500 fee, along with a $100 bus expense.

Working with Historic Programs, the Hollidaysburg Community Band was one of nine musical groups from across the country invited to play in France.

In all three performances, the band mostly played arrangements developed by American and French composers, assistant conductor Scott Sheehan said. Those arrangements included “Simple Gifts,” inspired by Aaron Copland; “America” from the Broadway musical “West Side Story”; and “An American Celebration” by Larry Neeck.

Members of the Hollidaysburg Community Band are pictured holding a banner at Sainte-Mere-Eglise's parade honoring the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. Courtesy photo

Band members began learning the music in March, ramping up rehearsals until their sendoff, which was this year’s Memorial Day concert at Canal Basin Park, he said.

The band also closed the generational gap, Stephens said, noting that their youngest member is 12, while their eldest is a 90-year-old Korean War veteran. Being from different eras, all band members who came along for the France trip played together in harmony.

“It really is a generational bridge through music,” he said.

Meaning behind the music

Band members not only participated in the celebration, but also visited the historical beaches, Sheehan said. And it was even more impactful for the members who served or could trace their relatives back to the soldiers who fought in Normandy.

“It was incredible to go deeper into the story and be on the same soil where the American troops landed,” Sheehan said.

Clarinet player Jamie Walter knew her Navy veteran grandfather, James Vance, was one of the few survivors of the USS Corry, a destroyer that sank in the Normandy waters on D-Day. Little did she know that she’d find his photo featured in the Lone Soldier section inside of the Utah Beach Landing Museum (see sidebar for more information).

“That was my trip,” she said with a laugh.

She also said it was amazing to represent America during the D-Day celebrations with her fiance, who plays the trombone in the band.

Because she couldn’t serve in the military due to her asthma diagnosis, she “wanted to be a part of something much bigger, and playing in the Hollidaysburg Community Band, I felt pride.”

Terry Wilt, the band’s eldest member and treasurer, said it was the best trip the band has ever taken, considering that it was the first time leaving the country to perform. And he’s been the band’s treasurer since 1953.

“I’ll never forget it as long as I live, and I’m really glad I was well enough to do this,” he said.

Lucky for him, he didn’t have to lug his bass drum to Europe, as it was already supplied to him before their performances. But the members who played smaller drums had to pack away their instruments.

He said it was emotional viewing the spots in Normandy that held American history, mentioning the graveyard for fallen soldiers filled with unnamed cross headstones.

He wanted to thank the anonymous donor, as the international performances wouldn’t have been possible without financial help.

“It was quite the trip,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.