Mountain Melodies Chorus Sing Out for Peace Program
Colville, Washington 9/11 2003
The Mountain Melodies traveled south to the town of Chewelah for the 2003 celebration of "Sing out for Peace." Adelines groups all over the nation had special programs, once again, for this annual solemn celebration.
The town was rather quiet as the local folks and emergency crews gathered in the Civic Center Hall for the celebration.
After an opening introduction by the mayor, and an invocation by a local minister, the Mountain Melodies Quartet Forward Motion sang the National Anthem. Following that the Mountain Melodies Chorus performed several very moving and appropriate national songs, including the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The Mountain Melodies also performed a number of songs from the 50's "swing era," which were really well received by the older folks in the audience.
The local VFW Honor Guard was in attendance as well, prepared to do a ceremony after the program in the Civic Center. After the Mountain Melodies finished their program, the VFW Honor Guard assembled and fired an honorary 21 gun salute in memory of all those who were lost on 9-11, and the military who are serving this nation in Iraq and elsewhere.
The shots of the 21 Sprinfield Rifles reflected off these walls, giving a lot of people a real start, mindful of the violence and fog of war with which our Veterans are confronted. It was very sobering.
The ceremony was completed when the Mayor invited all participants to come up and ring the 1800 pound, 100 year old fire-bell. The bell can be heard, at times, for miles around the town. This day, it rang repeatedly as many of the participants in the ceremony walked by and pulled on the heavy clapper rope. The ringing was truly fitting in light of the bell ringings that have occured in memory of all the public servants who lost their lives in the Towers, much less the kids of the services, now and past, who have donated their lives to the defence of this Republic.
