Heritage Singers honor WWII veterans | News, Sports, Jobs

Submitted photo: The Heritage Singers of Minot perform at the Normandy American Cemetery, France. Photo by Chad Spokely.

The Heritage Singers from Minot recently traveled to France for a performance.

The men’s choir visited various sites and performed across the country, but the concert that member Craig Eraas talked about most after the group’s return was a concert at the flagpole at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, where those killed in World War II are buried.

Eraas said that due to construction work during their performance at the cemetery, the group was unable to use their electric piano and had to perform a capella, without music. He said that the opportunity to perform there “incredibly moving.”

While in France, group members also visited Omaha Beach, the site of the largest coastal invasion in modern times, shortly after the 80th anniversary celebration of the invasion on June 6, and toured some of the exhibits there.

“I realized the true extent of this invasion and how it must have felt,” Eraas explained when speaking about the visit to the bridgehead, saying that he grew up with the events there as a child and felt awe at the sight.

Usually anniversaries are measured in 25-year increments, but Eraas said the 80th anniversary of the invasion was so important “because of the age of the veterans who were there. You know, a boy who was 18 back then is 98 today.”

“The number of veterans who served in World War II is declining,” he said. “The greatest generation is quickly passing us by.” Their commitment to securing Europe’s freedom from the Axis powers must be recognized, he said.

During the group’s adventures in Normandy, they were able to experience French cuisine, visit museums, and see local attractions. The group performed at various cathedrals and churches, including the Eglise St. Alpin, where they met the male choir Harmonia Chouer d’Homme.

Eraas summed up the trip with the words: The Heritage Singers were able to perform “in some phenomenal cathedrals, with some other phenomenal groups, and were able to experience a little piece of French culture.”

Eraas said he wished he could have spent more time at the Normandy beachhead.

“There is so much to see in the museums and the things that have been preserved. It was so moving that it is difficult to describe,” he said.