Mercer Singers joined worldwide reflection of D-Day
The winds of history changed course on June 6, 1944, when the Allied forces took to the beaches of Normandy for a battle code named “Operation Overlord” at the height of World War II. Today, it’s widely known as D-Day, the critical moment that turned the tide toward the liberation of Europe from Nazi forces in a major victory.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, sparking contemplation on this pivotal event around the world. For more than a dozen Mercer students, history came alive in an immersive adventure that took them to the sands of Omaha Beach, where American soldiers first touched down in 1944, and beyond. This study abroad experience, focused on the Mercer Singers, showed the power of song in momentous times.
Townsend School of Music Dean Dr. Gary Gerber said the faculty try to make an opportunity for students of all specialties to study abroad at least once during their time at Mercer. This was the choir’s turn, and Associate Dean and Professor Dr. Stanley Roberts arranged the event to coincide with multiple choirs performing Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem.”
“These are powerful places that I had visited when I was 18, and it was wonderful to be with the students there. I wasn’t sure about how they would react, 80 years after the events of the era. I had grown up with World War II stories from my grandparents’ generation and had always felt a connection,” Roberts said.
The singers first toured Gien, France, and collaborated closely with a local choir, the Loiret’s Singers.
Ella Trotter, who recently graduated in the class of 2024, loved the cross-cultural connection.
“From the minute we got there, they were so welcoming to us and so eager to get to know us despite the language barrier,” she said. “We had many opportunities to hang out with them, the most memorable for me being one of our last nights there. We all went out to a restaurant and basically sat as one big group, with people from both Mercer Singers and Loiret’s Singers at each table.”
Trotter bonded with one of the French women next to her, Laetitia, over a shared love of music from Édith Piaf to John Denver. This turned the evening into “an impromptu karaoke night,” she said.
Roberts said true friendships were made.
“The Mercer Singers provided musical inspiration and education at an amazing level and were so warmly received,” he said, mentioning that the Loiret’s Singers have a different system of choral education and were eager to learn from the visitors.
During their performance at a church in Gien, Roberts reported over 500 audience members in attendance, and the Mercer Singers sang three encores.
“We left the stage with the audience still clapping. The students will never forget that evening,” he said.
Dr. Gerber said he felt most moved visiting the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, where soldiers are interred. There, the singers came together to sing “For the Fallen,” a piece remembering those who sacrificed during the war, as well as “God Bless America.” Dr. Gerber described the moment as stopping time.
“Everybody who was there visiting the cemetery just kind of stopped what they were doing. It was dead quiet,” he said. “Then after we sang, there were about two minutes of just silence, and that was very, very special.”
The final concert was the larger performance of “Requiem,” which took years of planning from different choral groups. This was a joint effort that united English, French and American choirs who traveled to Caen, France. “Requiem” was composed contemporaneously during wartime by Duruflé, so it was the perfect piece for the occasion.
Conducted by James M. Meaders of Vox Anima London, the performance was well-received and educational.
“Musically my biggest takeaway from this experience is the importance of a good conductor,” Trotter said. “With a piece like Duruflé’s Requiem, with all of its rhythmic complexity, dynamic contrasts, and meticulous interplay between the orchestra and choir, it is paramount that a conductor has the skills necessary to keep it running smoothly.
“This becomes even more difficult when half of the group one is conducting speaks only French!”
Trotter said she learned a lot during the trip from observing Dr. Roberts and Meaders lead the crowd.
Dr. Roberts and Dr. Gerber were both impressed with how deeply the Mercer Singers wanted to take in the history that preceded them by several generations.
“The students were moved and very reflective throughout our time in Normandy and Caen,” Dr. Roberts noted.
Dr. Gerber added, “The students were just mesmerized learning about the battles and how they fought and how difficult it was.”
They said the importance of international travel for college-aged musicians can’t be overstated.
Trotter agreed.
“I would tell any other Mercer student that if they are presented with the opportunity to study abroad, they should take it,” she said. “I would argue that a key aspect of ‘majoring in changing the world’ is seeing the world.”
For Gerber, traveling and being part of the anniversary provoked a more profound feeling, one that he believes the students shared.
“It reminded me how thankful I am to be an American,” he said.
