The National Memorial Day Concert has an over thirty year history on PBS of honoring our nation's veterans and their families. This year is no different. The purpose of the concert is meant to bring recognition to everyone who has given their life in service of the United States Military. Abraham Lincoln said it best when he was giving his second inaugural address, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” We should all take a moment to remember those we have lost.
PBS has received numerous awards and accolades from the production of this concert and it has a special place in the PBS line-up. It has quickly become a yearly tradition for a lot of families to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday. The concert combines various musical performances, readings, and footage from various sources. It also highlights many of our Nation’s military band ensembles including the The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, The U.S Navy Band Sea Chanters, and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. Along with the military ensemble’s the concert will also feature award winning singers like Vince Gill, Gladys Knight, Alan Jackson and Sara Bareilles as well as the National Symphony Orchestra.
General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.) makes an appearance and shares his many years of experience bringing the stories of our military and their families to life. Both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Joint Chiefs of Staff bring their perspectives as well as they honor the men and women who have paid the ultimate price. When you think of celebrities who have dedicated a huge portion of their time to helping military families then you need to look no further than Gary Sinise. It is no surprise that he also has a part in this production along with other notable actors like Joe Mantegna, Steve Buscemi and Mary McCormack.
The National Memorial Day Concert will mostly be broadcast on PBS stations on Sunday, May 30th at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7:00 p.m Central but be sure to check your local listings for exact times and dates. To check local listings for your area or to stream the concert live on the Concert web page head to PBS’s web page dedicated to the concert: https://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/. If you are unable to view the concert live on Sunday be sure to check the webpage where it will be available to view for two weeks after the airing of the event.
