CHARLOTTE — A Tennessee choir that was headed to New York broke into song at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after facing several flight delays and cancellations.
The group raised $120,000 to perform at Carnegie Hall this weekend.
The Big Red Fire Choir drove from Cocke County, Tennessee to Charlotte Wednesday -- complete with a police escort -- to catch their flight to New York. But the 60 or so students and parents got stranded at Charlotte Douglas.
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Their flight was canceled twice and delayed eight times, but choir director Amanda Short said nothing was going to stop them from getting to New York.
“We have not slept in over 24 hours,” she said. “I’m living on adrenaline and coffee and caffeine.”
Around midnight Thursday morning, the group finally boarded, only to have to get off for a rescheduled flight. With frustration growing, they decided to change the mood by singing a hymn in the airport.
The hymn they sang talks about the good things to come. Choir member Ally McNabb said she wanted to spread some joy.
“It was a moment of peace among the craziness,” she said.
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One employee in the airport, who we only know as Carma, was moved by the performance and offered up some words of wisdom.
“When you go through something, you never know why you’re going through it,” Carma said.
Short said it was Carma’s last day on the job but that she managed to coordinate a special flight for the choir and the chaperones. The group left first thing Thursday morning and are now settling into the Big Apple.
Nine choir members were also sent to Charleston to catch a different flight and were later reunited in New York.
“Literally, she was our angel,” Short said. “She was our good karma.”
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