Legion ‘singers,’ PWHS choir to collaborate for contest, concert

By BILL SCHANEN IV

Ozaukee Press staff

When Diane Burkhalter was contacted by the national American Legion Auxiliary and told the organization wanted posts throughout the country to submit videos of their members singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” the president of the Van Ells-Schanen American Legion Auxiliary in Port Washington was up for the challenge.

But there was one problem.

“We can’t sing,” she said of the Legion and Auxiliary members of the Port post. “I had to laugh because I’ve heard us sing and I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to sound just wonderful.’”

But then she got an idea and rang up Port Washington High School Vocal Music Director Dennis Gephart.

“I asked him if we could sing it with the school choir,” Burkhalter said. “We could do it on our own but it would be more comedic than anything else, and I really didn’t want this to be slapstick.

“I thought it would be really nice because a lot of our members are Port High graduates.”

Gephart jumped at the idea, and on Wednesday, March 12, about 20 Legion and Auxiliary members will join Port High’s concert choir to rehearse and record a rendition of “You’re a Grand Old Flag” for the Legion Auxiliary contest.

“I think it will be a very good lesson for the kids to sing with veterans for whom ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’ may have special meaning,” Gephart said.

Burkhalter said Legion and Auxiliary members are doing their best to prepare for the performance, but their best may not be good enough.

“They’re trying to memorize the words to the song and I told them, ‘You really don’t have to do that. In fact, it may be better if you just move your lips and let the students do the singing,’” she said.

Gephart also had a request of Burkhalter. If the choir helps the Legion and Auxiliary with the contest entry, then their singers have to join the choir on stage at the Port Washington-Saukville School District Performing Arts Center to perform the piece during the Port Washington High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School Festival Choir Concert on Thursday, March 13.   

Burkhalter agreed.

The show starts at 7 p.m. The Performing Arts Center is at Port Washington High School, 427 W. Jackson St.