• Sign In
  • ACDA.org
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ChoralNet

ChoralNet

The professional networking site for the global online choral community.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • ACDA News
  • Events
  • Community
    • Announcements
    • Classifieds

CJ Replay: The Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force

May 4, 2020 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment


_____________________________
The November 2019 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “The Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force: A Career Path for Singers” by Technical Sgt. Jilian McGreen. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose November 2019 from the dropdown menu.
_____________________________

Right now, United States Military musicians are stationed throughout the world, using their musical skills to serve our country. The wide range of ensembles includes rock bands, jazz bands, concerts bands, and, yes, choruses. Choral musicians at every level should know about the opportunities that exist for them in each branch of the U.S. Military. In the U.S. Air Force, this opportunity is called the Singing Sergeants.

The Singing Sergeants, the official chorus of the U.S. Air Force, is one of six ensembles under the umbrella of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. The eighteen-member chorus has been permanently stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling since its inception in 1945. Initially an all male group, in 1973 the Singing Sergeants became the first American military chorus to enlist women. The group strives to fulfill the mission of the United States Air Force Band: to honor those who have served, inspire Americans to heightened patriotism and service, and positively impact our global community.

Honoring Veterans

The Singing Sergeants honors veterans through more than 200 public performances each year in the Capital region and across the country. The chorus embarks on several tours each year to different regions of the country, performing in a variety of venues including concert halls, sporting arenas, theatres, high schools, and community centers. Repertoire for these concerts includes traditional choral selections, music from Broadway shows, pop tunes, holiday favorites, and patriotic selections. Each concert ends with patriotic music and a medley of the armed forces service songs during which veterans in the audience stand to be recognized by their community. Chorus members often have the opportunity to speak with veterans before and after performances, thanking them for their service and hearing about their experiences in the military.

We also honor America’s veterans on locally- and nationally-broadcast television events commemorating patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Independence Day. The group has been seen on the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks broadcast as well as the PBS National Memorial Day Concert.

Additionally, the chorus performs for groups of veterans visiting Washington, D.C. Through the Honor Flight Network, veterans from around the country visit our nation’s capital to see the memorials dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifices of themselves and their comrades. As part of each visit, Honor Flights are welcomed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling for a performance highlighting repertoire from the World War II, Vietnam, and Korean War eras.
_____________________________

Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the November 2019 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.


Filed Under: Choral Journal Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, Choral Journal, CJ Replay, United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • ACDA.org
  • The ChoralNet Daily Newsletter
Advertise on ChoralNet

On This Day
June 25

French composer Gustave Charpentier was born on this day in 1860.

Would you like to submit a blog post for consideration?

Are you interested in becoming a regular ChoralNet blogger? Please contact ACDA Director of Membership & Communications Sundra Flansburg at .

RSS JW Pepper

  • 5 Things to Consider When Buying Color Guard Equipment
  • PYO Music Institute Presents the 9th Annual Ovation Award in Partnership with J.W. Pepper, Jacobs Music, and WRTI 90.1 FM
  • 10 Easy-To-Learn Funky Tunes for the Stands
  • Zoom F3 Field Recorder Review: The Easiest Way to Get Pro Audio for Your Music Ensembles
  • J.W. Pepper Names Eric King as New Chief Financial Officer
  • The Music Teachers’ Guide to Recording an Ensemble: The Samson C02 Mics Review
  • The Zoom Q8n-4K Handy Video Recorder Review
  • Directors & Parents: Download Our New Contest & Festival Checklist
  • If You Love West Side Story, Listen to These!
  • The Music of Rita Moreno, a West Side Story Icon

RSS NAfME

  • Assessing the Standards: An Exploration of the Respond Model Cornerstone Assessment
  • Nearly Half of the 2023 GRAMMY Music Educator AwardTM Quarterfinalists Are NAfME Members
  • Reevaluating Professional Practice
  • The Importance of Knowledge Transfer in Music Education
  • Star-Songs and Constellations: Lessons from the Global Jukebox
  • NAfME Endorses the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2021
  • 5 Things Teachers Can Do to Recharge over the Summer
  • 2022 Call for Applications: SRME Executive Committee
  • Yay Storytime! Musical Adventures with Children’s Picture Books, Part Sixteen
  • Yay Storytime! Musical Adventures with Children’s Picture Books, Part Fifteen

Footer

Connect with us!

  • Home
  • About
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • ACDA.org

Recent Blogs

  • Dropping the Covid Ball with Dr. Nikki Johnson
  • Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Pretension
  • The Schwa [ə] Flaw: Why We Rarely Sing [ə] and What We are Singing Instead
  • Recharge: Creation and J.S. Bach
  • From Matt to Matthew to All of Us: A Cathartic Transformation in Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard

American Choral Directors Association

PO Box 1705
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
73101-1705

© 2022 American Choral Directors Association. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy