Throwback! A Star-Spangled Day at the Hyatt!
It’s not every day that the NABGC meets a President. But they did on June 11 when they sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a luncheon where former president Bill Clinton was named “Father of the Year.”
Bill Clinton shaking hands with the members of our choir!
“I feel like a member of the choir,” the former president said as he stood with the members for a photo. He had just shaken every hands with every member.
The awards were made by the National Father’s/Mothers Day Council at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The money raised by this event went to Save the Children-US. Other honorees were Terry J. Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc., and Major Jackson Drumgoole II, U. S. Army.
The choir was able to rehearse in the ballroom before going to the ready room. A few minutes before the performance, Major Drumgoole and his wife greeted the choir members and posed for a picture. A few minutes later, President Clinton came out. He was very attentive to the choir members.
Not long afterwards, the NABGC got word that it was time to sing. The choir entered the filled ballroom of about 200 guests just before the honorees. The audience was greeted and asked to stand while the NABGC sang. Afterwards, there was generous applause.
Special thanks to Stuart Goldblatt and Dana Verrill for recommending the NABGC for this special opportunity.
NABGC Enjoys First Road Trip in Four Years
Choir members, parents and other relatives enjoyed a trip by chartered bus to Washington, D.C., and the suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, where they sang at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation over Memorial Day weekend. This was the first trip out of town since 2009 when the NABGC traveled to Canada.
The first stop was on Washington’s National Mall where choir members walked to the Franklin Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorials.
Sunday morning, the NABGC headed to Bethesda where members of the River Road congregation greeted the them before a rehearsal with the director of music, Dr. Clif Hardin, who accompanied them on the piano. NABGC sang four songs during the service. Afterwards, members of the congregation thanked choir members for participating in the service.
Next, the choir headed back to the National Mall. Because of a very large motorcycle parade, travel was very difficult around the DC area. It was only feasible to visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Choir members visited the Daniel Story, the recreation of the home of a Jewish boy named Daniel during World War II. Later that afternoon, the choir spent time at the Dulles Mall in suburban Virginia. Early Monday morning, the choir headed to Jackson, New Jersey, and spent the entire day at Great Adventures Amusement Park.
The NABGC is very grateful to Rev. Nancy Ladd, Clif Hardin and the members of the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation for its hospitality.