D-day 80 Memorial Wind Band

Join wind bands and individual band performers from across the United States to perform in France to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.

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Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in the D-Day 80 Memorial Wind Band

The D-Day 80 Memorial Wind Band will be a highlight of the D-Day 80 Memorial Concert at the Saint-Laurent sur Mer Main Square at Omaha Beach on June 6, 2024. Wind bands and individual band performers from across the United States are invited to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Conducted by COLONEL DENNIS M. LAYENDECKER – Former Commander & Conductor of the United States Air Force Band and Orchestra, and retired Chair of Music at George Mason University – the mass band will rehearse in Paris, and present a concert there, in advance of the June 6 performance in Normandy.

The dawn of June 6, 1944 (D-Day) saw one of the largest, most dramatic, invasions in world history. Over 160,000 forces, including 70,000 Americans, landed on 50 miles of Normandy coast. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were also involved. Over 2,000 Americans lost their lives storming the beach head to secure the high ground. More than 8,000 others would be lost in the days and weeks following as the Allied forces secured the surrounding countryside to establish a foot hold on Continental Europe.

No words can describe the overwhelming feelings of joy, the flowing tears of hope and happiness, and the expressions of gratitude, that the French exuded upon their liberation from the Nazi occupation. This momentous and daring event marked the beginning of the end of Adolf Hitler’s reign, and a new day for humankind.

80 years later, we remember and honor all the men and women memorialized at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. 9,387 graves are located on these hallowed grounds, along with the etched names of 1,557 American soldiers whose bodies were never found. It is to these men and women that we salute, revere, and honor their sacrifice.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

PARIS / ROUEN / CAEN / COLEVILLE / MONT SAINT-MICHELE / CHARTRES

DAY ONE:
Saturday, June 1, 2024

  • Depart via scheduled air service to Paris, France

DAY TWO:
Sunday, June 2

  • Arrive in Paris
  • Meet your MCI Tour Manager, who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach
  • Enjoy an orientation tour of Paris, followed by late afternoon hotel check-in
  • Welcome Dinner included, and overnight

DAY THREE:
Monday, June 3

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Morning Rehearsal
  • Lunch, on own
  • Enjoy a tour of Paris artistique, including entrance to the Louvre, the largest and greatest art museum in the world, with more than 45,000 works of art displayed over 700,000 sq. ft. It’s packed with enough artistic masterpieces to make the Mona Lisa weep. Rembrandt, Reubens, Botticelli, Ingres, and Michelangelo are all represented here; subjects range from the grandiose (Antoine-Jean Gros’s gigantic Napoleon Bonaparte Visiting the Plague-Stricken in Jaffa) to the mundane (Vermeer’s tiny, exquisite Lacemaker). You can gape at a diamond the size of a golf ball in the gilded Galerie d’Apollon or marvel over exquisite bronze figurines in the vast Egyptian section, there’s something for everyone
  • Dinner included
  • Evening Rehearsal
  • Overnight at the hotel

DAY FOUR:
Tuesday, June 4

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Morning guided tour of Paris historique. See the most historic parts of the city including seeing the Notre-Dame Cathedral during the restoration process after the devastating fire in 2019, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, Latin Quarter, Place de la Bastille, Invalides Hospital, and other Parisian highlights
  • Lunch, on own
  • Afternoon time at leisure for shopping and sightseeing
  • Evening Concert in Paris
  • Dinner included, and overnight

DAY FIVE:
Wednesday, June 5

  • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out
  • Morning time at leisure in Paris
  • Lunch, on own
  • Transfer to Caen via Rouen
  • Excursion to Rouen to see the Cathedral. In the Place de la Cathédrale stands the Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame, one of the largest and most magnificent in France. The most striking feature is the elaborately articulated west front which was several times painted by Claude Monet. Also see the sight of Joan of Arcs execution
  • Continue to Caen
  • Dinner included, and overnight

DAY SIX:
Thursday, June 6

  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Morning time at leisure in Caen
  • Lunch, on own
  • Performance at the Saint-Laurent sur Mer Main Square
  • Dinner included, and overnight

DAY SEVEN:
Friday, June 7

  • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out
  • Morning excursion to Coleville and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the American Cemetery, site of the June 6th Normandy Invasion
  • Lunch, on own
  • Afternoon transfer to Mont Saint-Michel
    One of France’s most recognizable landmarks, the Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Over 60 buildings within the commune are protected in France as “Monuments Historiques.” Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most striking sights that France has to offer! Perched on its rocky islet and surrounded by walls and bastions, this old abbey has the appearance of a fortified castle. Enjoy a full guided tour of the Abbey which also includes La Merveille (the incredible grouping of buildings on the north side of the Mount) and entrance to the Abbey
  • Dinner included, and overnight

DAY EIGHT:
Saturday, June 8

  • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out
  • Transfer to Chartres via Paris
  • Excursion to Chartres for a tour of the magnificent cathedral. Pilgrims have now been coming for almost eight centuries to admire the 175 representations of the Virgin Mary. The 25,000 square feet of stained glass (mostly from the 12th century) depicting 5,000 figures is considered the greatest achievement of this art form in the world
  • Lunch, on own
  • Continue to Paris
  • Farewell Dinner included, and overnight

DAY NINE:
Sunday, June 9

  • Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out
  • Transfer to the Paris Airport for return flight home

D-DAY 80 MEMORIAL WIND BAND

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

You can also call us at 800-395-2036
or send us an email at info@musiccelebrations.com